THE CHIEF BREEDS OF DOGS 199 



over, its legs, especially the fore legs, are contorted,, 

 crippled in appearance. One would say that the dog 

 had undergone some violent strain from which it 

 had not entirely recovered. Its head, its large and 

 drooping ears, its short hair, are almost the same as 

 the hound's. The beagle is also an ardent hunter, 

 the willing companion of him who, gun on shoulder, 

 tramps over the rocky hills beloved by rabbits. 

 With its short and twisted legs it trots rather than 

 runs; but its slowness is more deadly to its victim 

 than speed, for it allows the game to play and loiter 

 in seeming security before it. Without suspecting 

 the approach of the insidious enemy Jack Babbit 

 gambols and curls his mustache, and already the 

 beagle is face to face with him, transfixing him with 

 sudden terror. The shot is fired: all is over with 

 Jack, who leaps into the air and falls back inert on 

 the wild thyme." 



"Poor Jack, so treacherously surprised! Now 

 the hound does at least announce itself and let the 

 rabbit scamper away as quick as it can. It is a con- 

 test of speed between the two. But the dumpy 

 beagle creeps through the bushes and pops out all of 

 a sudden." 



' ' The beagle has not its equal for routing out the 

 fox from its hole. Its gait, which is almost a crawl, 

 enables it to penetrate the farthest corners of the 

 fox's abode. If it finds the malodorous animal 

 there, it gives voice and holds the place with tooth 

 and nail while allowing the hunters time to break 

 into the fox-hole and capture the chicken-stealer. 



