338 THIEVING DOGS AND HOUSES 



able to get him under' way again, a blunderbuss was 

 aimed at the poor man's innocent head, and he was in- 

 formed that the occupants of the coach would sell their 

 lives dearly ! And, as if this was not enough, it appeared 

 that the horse was well known all along that very road, 

 and when he had escaped from the firearms of passengers, 

 it was only to be stopped by the officers of the peace, 

 hoping at last to capture the notorious highwayman who 

 had so many times contrived to slip through their fingers. 



It can easily be imagined that by the time York was 

 reached the poor young man had had quite enough. He 

 parted with his prize for a mere trifle, less even than what 

 he had paid, and was glad to buy for a much larger sum 

 a horse that was not indeed so handsome to look at, but 

 had been better brought up. 



Yet it would be unjust to think that an animal's mis- 

 doing is always the fault of its master and mistress. 

 Here and there we find a creature who is naughty or 

 tiresome just because it likes it, and who will not suffer 

 itself to be taught better ways. • Not long ago a dog was 

 living at the mouth of a short street in London which 

 was open only at one end, and was the home of a great 

 many children. If any child tried to pass him he would 

 run at it and snap, and if he did not actually bite them, 

 the nurses always thought that he had done so. At 

 length every one became so frightened that the father of 

 one of the little girls had to go before a magistrate and beg 

 that the owners of this terrible animal might be forced to 

 get rid of him, as it was not fair that the whole street should 

 be kept in a state of siege, only for the amusement of 

 one dog. The magistrate agreed that it certainly was 

 unreasonable, and from that day the children could come 

 and go as they chose, without any fear of suddenly being 

 sent sprawling on the pavement. 



