116 AMECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



yard, and squat himself down very gravely, as if he had 

 not a thought of mischief in him. Presently a little 

 chicken ran past him ; snap went Bruin at the back of 

 its neck, and giving it a toss over his head as he would 

 a rat, the little thing was dead. Another was served in 

 the same way, and I was then called to inflict the pun- 

 ishment I thought most proper. I was averse to beating 

 him at first, so I pointed to the chicken, and scolded 

 him so much that he appeared to be very sorry for what 

 he had done. But he was then young and giddy, and 

 the impression made was but slight. In three days he 

 returned to his tricks, and I was obliged to chastise him 

 more severely. I tied a dead chicken round his neck, 

 beat him, and shut him up all day in a tool-house, where 

 I visited him several times, pointed to the chicken, and 

 repeated how naughty he was. He was so ashamed that 

 he could not look me in the face, and in the evening, 

 when I released him, he could not eat. He recovered 

 his gaiety in a day or two because he was entirely for- 

 given ; but he never again went into the poultry-yard, 

 and if by chance he saw a chicken, he would hang his 

 head and tail, and walk round it at such a distance that 

 he evidently recollected his former conduct. 



The great friend and playmate of Bruin was Pincher, 

 a very accomplished, smooth terrier, a capital dog to 

 go with the hounds, and to kill all sorts of obnoxious 

 animals. If the two appeared to be asleep, and we 

 exclaimed * Cat !' or ' Rat ! ' in one instant they were 

 on their legs, seeking in every direction for their game. 

 They hunted on their own account sometimes, and were 

 often seen with a red spaniel, trotting through the fields, 

 no doubt conspiring together to have a feast. Both 

 Bruin and Pincher were perfectly aware when Sunday 



