60 SAGACITY OF DOGS. 



Let me now produce another well authenticated 

 instance of this power. 



Sir Walter Scott was heard to say, that he would 

 believe any thing of a St. Bernard's dog, but there 

 are other dogs endowed with equal sense. 



A party had gone out rabbit shooting, ac- 

 companied by a small spaniel. While in pur- 

 suit of a rabbit, she fell into an old coal pit 

 full of water, to within seven feet of the brink. 

 The dog swam about till nearly exhausted, 

 when she was seen to make frequent but vain 

 attempts to extricate herself by catching at a twig, 

 which hung over the pit and was near the water. 

 This suggested the idea of making the animal's 

 sagacity the means of saving its life. The hand- 

 kerchiefs of the shooting party were tied toge- 

 ther, which, a small knot being made at the 

 end, were let down to her. With the utmost 

 quickness of perception she instantly seized the 

 knot in her mouth, and held on till she was 

 drawn out of the pit. 



A friend of mine had a brother, a rigid Catholic, 

 who resided a few miles from his house. He 

 kept the forty days of Lent with the utmost strick- 

 ness, so that but little was to be found in his 

 house during that period except fish, eggs and 

 vegetables. He had a favorite old fox hound, a 

 parlour dog, who shewed his dislike to this fare, 

 by always coming to my friend's house during 



