Beason or Instinct, 113 



experience is that to the outward world they are treacher- 

 ous. Hounds are undomesticated dogs, and are like a great 

 public school ; they live together, work together, and have 

 ways and manners of their own, and look down on the 

 general public, though their extraordinary intelligence is 

 shown by obedience to the rating of the huntsman if unruly 

 and the honest answer to his voice when cheered on. 



The dog with real reason is the family dog, who always 

 lives about the household. My dogs are a fair specimen of 

 dog-sense, so I preach on them. My favourites now which 

 constitute my canine establishment are a strong, shortish, 

 broad- backed, big-headed black retriever, somewhat like a 

 black bear, " Point," which I bred — his twin brother, " Slip," 

 unfortunately died of distemper — and a Dandy Dinmont, 

 with a dash of the otter-terrier in him, " Rufus," who flew 

 at me one Sunday evening at a railway station, and whom 

 I threatened to " brain," for I was once badly bitten in my 

 life, and am fearful of strange dogs. The dog came to me 

 a minute or two afterwards, and took a lively interest in a 

 biscuit I was eating, and we made friends. His master, 

 to whom I was a stranger, though he knew my name, seeing 

 my wrath had cooled, apologised for his dog's bad manners, 

 and said that his wife would not have a dog in the house 

 and offered him to me if I would give him a home. If any 

 dog ever had a soul Kufus has. He is a favourite with the 

 whole family, and has ways of his own. He sleeps in my 

 son's bedroom, and comes down punctually at 8 o'clock and 

 sits in front of the fire in winter, and in a particular corner 

 of the carpet in summer, and on no consideration will he 

 notice anyone, except to fly at the postman, until 9 o'clock. 

 He listens to every word which is said, and I believe Avrites 

 shorthand notes of his own. Soon after 9 o'clock he goes 

 with one of the family across the common to the station, 

 and is ordered to return home, which he pretends to do, 



