Shortly after the close of World War Two, our old collie dog had gotten together with a Black and Tan hound, and had 7 puppies. Three looked like collies, Three looked like hounds, and one was white and did not look like either.

One of the hounds would not eat raw meat. He lived on vegetable matter. We could get him to track an animal, but he would not catch it. I have never before or since seen a dog that was a vegetarian, but this one was. During the summer he ate apples, peaches, peanuts, cabbage, corn and just about every other plant that grew around the farm, and would get fat. During the winter he ate tree bark, cow feed, dried corn and any plant matter he could find and would get skinny.

This dog had ears that could be tied under his chin in a bow knot. His jaws hung down and looked like he had a mouth full of food all the time.

My older brother had returned from Europe with his feet in terrible shape, and had a lot of time on his hands. He took to the crazy dog, and the dog to him.

My brother said the hound looked like Mussolini, and the name stuck. Soon he was known as Moose.

Old Moose had a good nose, and used it to find food. He could smell an apple a hundred yards away. He would go into the grass and weeds that was supposed to be our melon patch, and come out with a musk melon. He would bring it to my brother and lay it at his feet, then cower on the ground wagging his tail.

Brother would cut the melon open, rake out the seeds, cut out the meat and eat it, and give the rind to Moose. Moose would eat the rind and seeds, and lick up every drop of juice. When they finished, there was no sign that the melon ever existed.