His Master's Shadow

His Master’s Shadow

 

The English Text Book of seventh standard had a story about Hachiko, a Japanese pet dog who came unfailingly each evening for several years to a Tokyo suburban rail station patiently watching each walker by hoping for his master who was never to return. He did so for nine long years and when he died. In recognition for his extraordinary loyalty, the local authorities honoured Hachiko with a statue installed at the place he unfailingly waited for several years.

 

Another such poignant story is about a palace dog who was killed by his furious Royal master for harming a child prince who had been missing from  his cradle.  It later transpired the child had been in fact protected by the dog who had warded off an attack from a large serpent.   The dog perhaps would even otherwise have died from venom but came to his death at the   hands of his Master.   

 

There are more such stories of forgiving masters who have reciprocated the affection and loyalty of their pets.  Famous amongst these, is that of Isaac Newton forgiving his dog Diamond when the latter pushed a lit candle upon his manuscripts reducing all his notes of his painstaking scientific work of over two decades to veritable ash. 

 

Apocryphal or not, a dog’s loyalty and empathy with his master’s emotions is legend.

 

Such a tale of a dog’s love for his master came to be heard while travelling on the Kalka-Shimla ‘Toy’ train.  Around half way up, the train  chugs into Barog  station. It does so after emerging from the dark depths of the longest of the over hundred tunnels, acclaimed also as the straightest tunnel in the world.  Barog is the principal watering point for the exhausted steam engine and the longish halt here gives opportunity to passengers to alight and stretch themselves and to lend their ears to the story tellers of the place.

 

Their story is about one Colonel  Barog of the Royal Corps of Engineers had been tasked to construct the longest of the over hundred tunnels through which the train track passes and the faithfulness and loyalty of his pet dog.   Faced with a stiff timeline and to save time, the Colonel directed  digging commence simultaneously from both ends.  Work progressed at fast pace under his watchful supervision but required him to take a circuitous path around the hill each day, often more than once.  Besides his Staff who followed him on this wildlife infested narrow path, Shadow, the Colonel’s pet dog named so due to his colour, was always by his side.   

 

A proud professional who took pride and satisfaction in completing his tasks, Colonel Barog pushed his team to dig and delve hard but in the haste of doing so within the very short period given to him, he miscalculated the right bearings of the two ends he marked for work to start.  One end reached a dead end at an underground cavern that was a natural reservoir.  Work on the other side also brought to halt.

 

Colonel Barog’s error of judgment, if indeed it were so, incurred for him the wrath of his superiors. He was divested of his responsibility and a new Chief Engineer appointed to execute a tunnel on fresh set of coordinates.

 

Col Barog had to face the ignominy of an Inquiry before which he explained himself, perhaps to some degree of success.  But his error had resulted in a ‘financial loss to the state’ on account of the incomplete work and for this, a fine of Rupees One was imposed on him.  

 

A Noble soul brooks no finger being raised upon his character or esteem and Colonel Barog, the high professional felt deeply humiliated.  The story is silent on whether he remitted the fine, but does mention that for one last time, he took the long mountain path to survey the two abandoned sites of his project.   He then stood before the entrance of the tunnel leading to the waters, took out his revolver and shot himself.

 

Death for the Colonel would have been instantaneous.  But his dog Shadow would not rest in acceptance. He ran barking and screaming towards the small settlement of the workforce and barked into the faces of all those he could recognize as known to the Colonel. Seeing Shadow without his master, they too sensed something was amiss and followed him back to the place where the lifeless body of Colonel Barog lay.

 

Col Barog was buried at a little distance from where he shot himself, close to the mouth of the tunnel end which led upto the underground lake.    Shadow was inseparable from his master and until his own death stood guard next to the grave, through rain and shine, watching the faces of all those who visited the grave or walked past it in the silent hope that his master had returned.   

 

The story did not end here.  Adventurers, tourists, love birds who go into the mouth of the inchoate tunnel come out quickly to report of a low whine emanating from the dark depths of the cavern.  Thi,  local folklore believes is Shadow grieving for his master.  

 

Colonel Barog’s act of shooting himself set off ripples. Questions were raised as to whether he was indeed blameworthy and even if so, whether he was harshly dealt.  The errors attributed to him were reviewed and he was absolved of any professional blemish.  His fair name was thus restored and in recompense, the new tunnel,  the workmen colony as also the station, all bear his name. 

 

The commemoration for his dog Shadow remains however only in the lore of the Barog tunnel.  His lament for his master tapped an emotional cord and does so even now whenever a black dog passes by.  

 

The legend of Hachiko of the Shimla Hills has not only brought to fore the sterling values of his master, it also spreads the message that faithfulness and loyalty are traits that bind endearing souls for all time.