THE MASTIFF. 581 



ally remonstrating against what he deemed improper con- 

 duct, never molested anybody; but one morning a typical 

 tramp came to the back door one of your regular dyed- 

 in-the-wool, dirty, ragged, frowsy, red-faced tramps, stink- 

 ing of whisky. Just as the cook opened the door, Lion 

 came around the side of the house, and with one short, 

 hurried bark sprung straight at the fellow's throat. The 

 cook interfered and ordered the dog off, but she might as 

 well have whistled to the wind; and when she caught him by 

 the collar, he jerked her across the floor as if she had been 

 a feather, until the hired man came to her aid and suc- 

 ceeded in depriving Lion of a taste of that tramp. It is 

 unnecessary to add that when my people finally got the 

 dog under control the tramp was out of sight, and for 

 aught I know is running yet. Now, so obedient was Lion 

 to that cook, under ordinary circumstances, that if she put 

 food for him on the floor and said, "Lion, don't you touch 

 that," he would back off, lick his lips, eye the food in the 

 most wistful manner, but would lie by it all day without 

 touching it. He knew, however, that his duty in life was 

 to dispose of tough-looking tramps, and no order would 

 drive him from so relished a duty. 



Mr. Lukey, the "Father of the Mastiff," was once 

 attacked by a large Newfoundland he owned, and was in 

 most imminent danger, when his noted Countess (dam of 

 Governor) broke the chain by which she was fastened, 

 attacked the Newfoundland, and although much the 

 smaller animal, actually killed the assailant. 



That this role of protector should be the Mastiff's inborn 

 disposition is perfectly natural; as long since as the time 

 of Queen Elizabeth he was "the Mastie that keepyth the 

 house," and for some centuries previous this must have been 

 his vocation, to have established it so firmly as his character. 

 After perhaps six hundred years of use for this purpose, it 

 is not, I repeat, strange that protection of life and property 

 should be the one object in life of this grand dog. If I 

 have not made it sufficiently plain, let me say now that the 

 crowning glory of the Mastiff, and the immeasurable value 



