Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/322



VERYONE has heard of the magnificent dogs of the St. Bernard monastery. The manner in which they are trained to search for snow-bound travellers has gained for them and the good monks, their teachers, such a world-wide fame that a few words of reference are all that are necessary to introduce the most interesting photograph from real life which we are here able to present. Whenever a snow-storm breaks upon the Alps the monks send forth their dogs in search of travellers, each animal carrying a flask of spirits suspended from its neck. Guided by the wondrous instinct with which they are endowed, and which has been intensified by assiduous and skilful training, they seldom fail in discovering any unfortunate wayfarer who has been overtaken by the tempest, or who has sunk upon the icy ground, worn out by fatigue and hardship, and succumbed to the death-sleep which results from intense cold. When the dog makes such a discovery it raises its voice in a deep and powerful bay, at the same time scraping away the snow from the traveller's body, even though it be buried under a deep snowdrift, and crouching with its body pressed against the sufferer's breast in order to bring back the natural heat and life. The monks, on hearing the dog's warning cry, immediately set off with aid.

The above picture represents a scene of this kind, exactly as it occurred; it is so vivid that the spectator might almost fancy himself present at the discovery of the body. The sufferer in this case was an Italian peasant who had lost his way among the mountains, and had sunk down without hope. The monks, on hurrying out at the summons of the dog's voice, found the poor fellow lying in the snow, which the faithful animal had partly scratched away. As the sufferer was apparently quite dead, a photograph of the body in his deadly sleep, with the dog still crouching on the breast, was taken on the spot by one of the monks, who had his camera with him. The feet, or, rather, the bottom of the serge gown of another monk may be seen in the background. The sufferer was immediately carried to the monastery, and, it is satisfactory to learn, was by assiduous care and skill at length restored to life.