io8 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



decide who should be the executioner. I shall not 

 reveal upon whom that lot fell, but the man who 

 slew the goat has never been quite the same since. 

 He carries the brand of Gain. 



We had also a tame pig that answered to the 

 name of Dolly. Dolly was a thoroughbred Poland- 

 China, and she used to follow me about like a dog 

 and eat out of my hand. Dolly became enormously 

 fat, and after a time refused positively to budge 

 from the kitchen door, transferring her affections, 

 after the manner of her sex, from her lawful lord 

 and master to another, the cook, who wooed her 

 wantonly with wash. Dolly was eaten; and we 

 have never dared since then to speak disparagingly 

 of cannibals. We had also a parrot that was pos- 

 sessed not of one but of a dozen devils. Some 

 parrots attain a great age, but this bird died young 

 — I am glad to say. Of course we tamed many 

 colts : a grave mistake unless you intend them for 

 a circus. It is easy to teach a horse to shake 

 hands, and waggle his head, and stand on a tub, 

 and lie down ; but you cannot teach him a sense 

 of the fitness of things. I remember a black whom 

 1 used to drive as leader of a pony tandem. He 

 was on such intimate terms with me that he 

 never questioned his right to do as he pleased. 

 This perfidious wretch would not only stop when 

 he came to a hill, but also lie down, flat on his 

 back with all four legs in the air, — a disgraceful 

 object 



Speaking of horses reminds me of an incident. 

 Some neighbours and friends of ours had a horse 

 called Alcalde. Alcalde was a most respectable 



