184 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



diately sped to their posts of duty. And well did they 

 perform their work. The deer came out close to them, 

 and they caught and killed it before it ran two hundred 

 yards. 



This dog Bevis was the only Deerhound I ever saw 

 that was trained to do tricks of various kinds. He would 

 fetch, carry, go to the post-office or butcher- shop, carry 

 notes to neighbors and take back anything that was given 

 him in return for the letter. I remember distinctly that he 

 once did a trick never before required of him. I was 

 driving a fractious horse, in a sulky, and dropped my 

 whip. I was afraid to get out to regain it, and called to 

 Bevis to pick it up, which he did immediately; then I 

 called to him to bring it, which he also did, and placed it 

 in my hand. 



I was then a school-boy, and took great pains to teach 

 this dog; something I never had the time nor patience, in 

 after life, to repeat with any of my other dogs. I now 

 remember many fine specimens that have often displayed 

 intelligence of a superior order, which needed nothing but 

 training and teaching to make them trick-dogs. I fully 

 believe that a properly shaped Deerhound could be edu- 

 cated for high leaping so as to surpass all dogs in that 

 work. A strong, short-backed, powerfully muscled Deer- 

 hound leaps easier and higher than any other dog that I 

 have ever seen in the field. No doubt it is only the high 

 price that keeps them from getting into the hands of 

 training showmen, who would otherwise bring them for- 

 ward in this amusing novelty. 



To illustrate their jumping power, I will relate an 

 amusing incident which happened several years ago in 

 a Western village. My dog* Imported Champion Mac 

 delighted in killing all the cats he could find. While on 

 a wolf -hunt we were just starting out in the early morn- 

 ing, and the dogs feeling extra fresh, Mac came up a cross^ 

 street after a cat; the cat went under our horses, and Mac, 

 in a tremendous leap, went over both horses. This dog 

 never had any special training in leaping, but when after 



