132 OUR DOGS. 



movements of his mistress. The only shrewd trick he pos- 

 sessed was a habit of drawing on her sympathy by feigning 

 a lame leg whenever she scolded or corrected him. In his 

 English days he had had an injury from the kick of a 

 horse, which, however, had long since been healed ; but he 

 remembered the petting he got for this infirmity, and so 

 recalled it whenever he found that his mistress's stock of 

 affection was running low. A blow or a harsh word would 

 cause him to limp in an alarming manner; but a few 

 caresses would set matters all straight again. 



Rag had been a frantic ratter, and often roused the 

 whole family by his savage yells after rats that he heard 

 gambolling quite out of his reach behind the partitions in 

 the china closet. He would crouch his head on his fore- 

 paws, and lie watching at rat-holes, in hopes of intercepting 

 some transient loafer ; and one day he actually broke the 

 back and bones of a gray old thief whom he caught ma- 

 rauding in the china closet. 



Proud and happy was he of this feat ; but, poor fellow ! 

 he had to repose on the laurels thus gained, for his teeth 

 were old and poor, and more than one old rebel slipped 

 away from him, leaving him screaming with disappointed 

 ambition. 



At last poor Rag became aged and toothless, and a 

 shake which he one day received from a big dog, who took 

 him for a bundle of wick-yarn, hastened the breaking up 



