CH. III.] Nondescript Tinker. 49 



is a proficient at rat-catching, except that he 

 has been known to mark a hole where there 

 was no rat ; but his strong point is killing. 

 He will stand well back from a hole, and it 

 does not matter how many rats bolt, or how 

 fast, each gets one snap and is dead and 

 dropped without Tinker having moved a 

 foot. I named him Tinker, for a tinker 

 gave him to me " cos he warn't no sort 

 of waller." 



Then on my list next comes " Grindum," 

 a mongrel bull-terrier, just the tenderest 

 hearted, mildest dispositioned dog that ever 

 killed a rat. He has but a poor nose and 

 is not clever, but he has one strong point, 

 which he developed for himself without 

 being taught. It is this : when I am ferret- 

 ing a thick hairy bank with a big ditch, 

 Grindum always goes some ten yards off and 

 places himself in the ditch, and, let the excite- 

 ment be what it will, he never moves ; and 



