DOGS. 87 



such a bark/' At last, with great reluctance, the man 

 gave up the dog to the letter-carrier, who brought him 

 home here. But though Bass's bark is so terrific, he is 

 the best-natured and most playful dog I ever saw ; so 

 much so, indeed, that the small King Charles's spaniel, 

 Raith, used to tyrannize over him for many months 

 after he came here from abroad. I have seen the little 

 creature run furiously at the great animal when gnawing 

 a bone, who instantly turned himself submissively over 

 on his back, with all his legs in the air, whilst Raith, 

 seizing the bone, would make the most absurd and un- 

 availing attempts to bestride the enormous head of his 

 subdued companion, with the most ludicrous affectation 

 of the terrible growling, that might bespeak the loftiest 

 description of dog-indignation. When a dog attacks 

 Bass in the street or road, he runs away rather than 

 quarrel; but when compelled to fight by any perseverance 

 in the attacking party, he throws his enemy down in a 

 moment, and then, without biting him, he lays his whole 

 immense bulk down upon him, till he nearly smothers 

 him. He took a particular fancy for one of the postmen 

 who deliver letters here, whose duty it was, besides de- 

 livering letters, to carry a letter bag from one receiving- 

 house to another, and this bag he used to give Bass to 

 carry. Bass always followed that man through all the 

 villas in this neighbourhood where he had deliveries to 

 make, and he invariably parted with him opposite to 

 the gate of the Convent of St. Margaret's, and returned 

 home. When our gate was shut here to prevent his 

 following the postman, the dog always leaped a high 

 wall to get after him. One day when the postman was 

 ill, or detained by some accidental circumstance, he sent 

 a man in his place. Bass went up to the man, curiously 



