468 BRITISH DOGS 



is a plain indication that he means business, whilst his bright, 

 intelligent, hazel eyes flash expressive of the popular saying " Let 

 'em all come," and the gintleman who is bold enough to tread 

 on the tail av his coat will have a warm time, and will not miss 

 the first opportunity of clearing off with a lasting recollection of 

 " Irish hot." He has been truly designated the Bull-terrier of 

 the sister isle, and it is not too much to say he has few equals 

 and no superior in point of pluck, if the English Bull-terrier be 

 excepted. 



In the early eighties Mr. Frank Butler, of Irish Terrier fame, 

 and the writer had been out ferreting rats. On returning home 

 an old cropped Irish Terrier bitch belonging to the writer had 

 killed a hedgehog, which it was subsequently ascertained had been 

 nicely dusted with cayenne, tied up in an old handkerchief, and 

 put on a seat as a "plant" to win ten shillings from the landlord 

 of the inn at which we called, who had a Bull- and Fox-terrier 

 that he said would kill hedgehogs. The owner of the hedgehog 

 said, "I'll give 'e a suverin for the Tarrier, mister," which, needless 

 to say, was not accepted. 



Without a good dog as guard, you may have all your locks, 

 bolts, and bars to keep Bill Sykes out of your house should you leave 

 it unattended, and then he will manage to pay you a visit. If you 

 will only leave Paddy at home in charge, with access to every room, 

 you need have little fear that your temporary absence from the 

 house means losing your plate or any other valuables, for the wily 

 Irishman is like the proverbial weasel, never asleep, and his keen 

 nose and quick ear will not fail to detect a strange footstep, even 

 if the would-be visitor is wearing the regulation silent shoes. And 

 his angry bark will be quite enough to keep the intruder on the 

 other side of the door. Nothing upsets the calculations of these 

 gentry so much as a sharp Terrier. One might also feel perfectly 

 safe on a lonely walk, night or day, with Pat as a companion. A 

 well-trained Terrier will keep close to heel at night, and when 

 strange footsteps are approaching you will hear him give vent 

 to a suppressed growl, and if occasion arose you may rely on his 

 cleaning his teeth on your adversary's trousers and pinching his 

 calf in a way that would be anything but pleasant. 



Only recently an Irish Terrier belonging to a labouring man 

 showed the writer a very nice set of teeth through his inadvertently 

 going too near his master's dinner-basket and an old overcoat 

 he was guarding with a zeal it was a treat to see. 



A true " Dare-devil " is obviously a workman, and as a sportsman 

 he can give any other Terrier a start and a beating. He takes to 

 all kinds of sport as naturally as possible, and it only requires two 

 or three lessons with an adult dog when ferreting for a puppy 

 to understand the game and kill rats as fast as you please. The 



