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was a case of novice's luck again. Like most carefully bred 

 stock, Enchantress had the priceless faculty of throwing 

 champions. The first, Dumbarton Sceptre, was benched for 

 the first time at Cruft's. She failed to meet the judicial 

 eye with distinction. I liked her myself exceedingly, and 

 offered to buy, but failed to deal ; however, I got a 

 promise of first refusal, with which I had to be content. 

 The promise was loyally kept by Mrs. Cuthell, for when 

 Mr. Theo. Kershaw wired an offer for Witch, as she then 

 was named, Mrs. Cuthell telegraphed to me at Man- 

 chester putting the bitch at such a price that I would 

 have clinched the matter instantly, but, tragically enough, 

 I had left for home, being right down ill, and I did not 

 receive the wire for days afterwards, which was real bad 

 luck. Still, there was a great consolation in the know- 

 ledge that this magnificent specimen was in the right 

 hands to do her justice. She was easily the best Airedale 

 benched at this, and how Mr. J. R. Cooper, who even at 

 this time owned some eminent dogs, came to miss this 

 superlatively beautiful bitch, is a marvel to the knowing- 

 ones who were present. She seemed to the ringsiders to 

 have stood clean away from the opposition. Still, judges 

 are only human, and therefore liable like the rest of us 

 to err. I don't think that Sceptre was ever beaten after 

 she changed hands. She had a wonderful career, and 

 finally went to that land where all England's Airedale 

 " good goods " go to. Mr. Theo. Offerman was the lucky 

 man, and I am convinced that he never regretted becom- 

 ing the possessor of one of the best bitches of the decade. 

 A litter brother of the above-mentioned bitch, 

 Claverhouse Sorcerer, did not " last " like his celebrated 

 relative. He, however, had his points, and at eight 

 months old was quite as good, but his shoulders went a 

 little and his skull thickened; still, when he left this 

 country he was quite a Terrier of class. I had in the 

 meantime arranged with the owner of Enchantress to take 



