460 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



some of dogs; but when once their wrath is raised, "look 

 out for squalls " something is going to suffer. 



They are much used by poachers in England, being an 

 improvement on the " lurchers" of olden days, and, more- 

 over, less likely to arouse suspicion in the gamekeepers, to 

 whom a lurcher is as a red rag to a bull. 



"He's a queer looking 'coon," I overheard a visitor say of 

 an Airedale at a show, ' ' but he looks like a dandy for work ;' ' 

 and I think this breed exemplifies the adage, "Handsome is 

 as handsome does." 



They are grand watch-dogs and excellent house-dogs, 

 kind and affectionate with children, and most intelligent. 

 I am afraid, however, that they will never be popular, looks 

 being so much against them. There are but few of them in 

 the country, and very, very few good ones. 



The following extract from a letter lately received from 

 an old friend will be of interest in this connection: 



I will try and write you what I know of Airedales. I think the breed 

 originated from a cross between the Otter Hound and the Bull Terrier. There 

 used to be a pack of Otter Hounds kept always at Bingley, England. I have 

 often seen them hunting on the River Aire, which runs through Airedale; 

 hence the name of the dog, I suppose. It is good sport to take three or four of 

 these Terriers down the banks of a river hunting rats. They will find the cats 

 in their holes, and stand back. Then you put in the ferret, the rat will jump 

 into the water, and the dogs will watch for nis appearance, swim after and 

 catch him, nine times out of ten. I think they and the Irish Terriers know 

 more than all the other breeds of Terriers combined. 



I think the breed was first known about Salt Aire and Shipley Glen, Bayl- 

 don, Bingley, and around Keighley. When I wished to get one, I never used to 

 go to any other place to look for it; and all the really good ones were well known. 

 I never cared to own any but the best I could get, and 1 10s. to 2 was 

 then considered a high price. You could get the best to be had for that 

 amount, if the owner would sell at all. 



I owned three Smuggler, Crack, and Ben and they were all as good dogs 

 as I ever saw. Ben was the best and largest of the three. He would prob- 

 ably weigh some forty to forty -five pounds when in good condition. They 

 breed them now much larger than they did then. When I had them, I was 

 about eighteen or twenty years old now thirty years ago and over. . . . 



Crack was first owned by a Leeds gentleman, and weighed not more than 

 thirty five pounds when in fair condition. He was matched and fought in the 

 pit, in Leeds, with a Bull Terrier, weight thirty-three and one-half pounds. 

 Crack was to come any weight; Bull Terrier was to be thirty-two pounds only, 

 but they let him in at above weight. I saw the fight, and bought Crack for 



