110 REMINISCENCES OF A SPOETSMAN. 



distance. Having taken about fourteen or fifteen cards, 

 with one court card in the middle, I covered the others 

 in such a way that their numbers, such as 6, 7, 8, or 9, 

 could not be made out, and the knave, queen, or king, 

 stood most consjiicuous in the centre. Then passing the 

 cards quickly before a lady, I begged that she would 

 fix on one, and as she could not make out the numbers 

 of the others, I was quite certain that the court card 

 would be her choice. As soon as I had thrown the cards 

 on the carpet, with their faces upwards, I told Cartouche 

 to go and find the lady's card. In doing this he kept 

 his eyes fixed on me, and the signal I gave him when 

 he came to the right card was by jerking slightly the 

 tail of my coat, when he took it up in his mouth, car- 

 ried it to the lady, sitting up with his back towards her. 

 A general exclamation of astonishment was sure to 

 follow this performance of my poodle, who received 

 many caresses from the ladies, to which he had 

 no dislike. I rarely had this trick performed more 

 than once, although it was never found out, and during 

 the time my dog was pretending to look for the card all 

 eyes were fixed on him, so that there was not the slightest 

 chance of any one perceiving the signal I gave him. 

 Cartouche's education was all in French and Grerman. 

 He was with me in garrison at Malta, Gribraltar, and 

 the citadel of Messina, and was such a favourite with all 

 the officers of the regiment that he had the free entree 

 of the mess-room, whereas for all other dogs found there 

 belonging to any officer the master was fined a bottle of 

 wine. Poor dear Cartouche died at Messina of an in- 

 flammation in his inside when not more than three years 

 old. The doctor of the regiment, who was particularly 

 fond of him, did all he possibly could to save him; 



