FROM THE SPECTATOR? 249 



all his tricks in a confused manner, and, in 

 short, behaving after a very insane fashion 

 indeed. We noticed he had a slight cough ; 

 but he seemed otherwise quite well, and we 

 thought it would go away , but it increased, 

 and at that time there was an epidemic of 

 bronchitis among dogs. We sent him to an 

 eminent veterinary surgeon, who blistered 

 him (and how patient the poor fellow was 

 under the pain cannot be told), but though 

 relieved for the time, the end was near. 

 One morning he was seen to do an ap- 

 parently quite unaccountable thing. He 

 took his son Terry (whom he was never 

 known to notice except by knocking him 

 over and standing upon him, growling 

 fiercely), all round our village, and visited all 

 the dogs in it. John saw him doing this 

 early in the morning, and told me of it I 

 suppose he was commending Terry to their 

 favour. He coughed a great deal all day, 

 and breathed heavily ; but in the evening he 

 was very bright, and to all appearance much 

 better, and insisted on doing all his tricks 

 till it was time to go to bed. Sprig never 



