FALLACIES AND FACTS. 207 



The manner in which this strange pet came 

 into my possession I shall here relate. One day, 

 at Cranford, I saw an old stoat carrying something 

 in her mouth across a small field from one cover 

 to another. She was too far off for a shot ; but 

 my retriever dog ^' Smoker," who, at eight or nine 

 months old, saved the then Lady Young's life 

 from a tame and infuriated stag (oh, reader! 

 understand her danger from a stag, not a buck), 

 having viewed the vermin, I gave him a sign to 

 kill if he could. The stoat saw him coming 

 with his tremendous stride and speed, but she 

 would not quit the pledge of her affection until 

 the dog was close upon her; she then tried to 

 escape without her burden, and, turning back 

 across the field, I was in time to shoot her. On 

 going to the spot where the deer-dog had come 

 up with her, short as the grass was, there was 

 nothing to be seen. At last, however, a little 

 stoat was discovered couched in an old horse-shoe 

 print ; he had made himself fit its curve exactly, 

 and there he lay as still as death, with his two 

 little black shining eyes fixed upon me as I 

 stooped to pick him up. 



There has been in this year (1869) a vast deal 



