212 EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS. CH. XXXIII. 



Some of the grooms, who found out the robbery at 

 an early hour in the morning, having heard that 

 bloodhounds would hunt men, took the dog out, 

 and put him on the footsteps, which at that hour 

 were plainly visible on the dewy grass. The dog 

 immediately took up the scent, the servants fol- 

 lowed, and, after a run of twelve miles, came to a 

 cottage, where both the thieves and the harness 

 were discovered. It appeared that the thieves 

 had waded through a tolerably broad but shallow 

 stream : the dog scarcely came to a check here, the 

 scent appearing to remain in the morning mists, 

 which were still hanging on the surface of the 

 water. He went straight across, and at once took 

 up the scent on the opposite side of the river. 



One of the most singular uses to which dogs are 

 put is truffle -hunting. I well remember, in my 

 younger days, a curious old fellow in Sussex 

 who gained his living, ostensibly, by this pursuit. 

 Accompanied by four or five quaint -looking 

 currish poodles of a small size, he used to follow 

 his trade, and generally hunted out a considerable 

 number of these mysterious but excellent roots. 



The Skye terrier, though so much prized by our 

 English visitors, has by no means the determined 

 blind courage of the English bull-terrier. Never- 

 theless there is much quiet intelligence and charac- 



