4 THE LIFE OF A FOXHOUND. 



relative — a mangy, out-of-the-elbow, shy- 

 looking, down-cast hound — *' I was tied up 

 from one month's end to another at a 

 butcher's shop, with nothing to eat but the 

 offal from the slaughter-house. I never, 

 scarcely, was let loose, except to fight with 

 one of the bull-dogs or terriers chained in the 

 yard with me; but as I was always over- 

 matched when I fought, and got well thrashed 

 when I refused, the end was the same in 

 either case. The best part of a hound," 

 continued he, " as the best part of a horse, 

 goes in at the mouth ; and as none, since I was 

 a sucker, has gone into mine, I suppose I must 

 consider myself no better than I should be; 

 and I fear," concluded he, with a sorrowful 

 expression, " not so good." 



" Let me hope that my sisters were more 

 fortunate," said I. 



" We were together in the same village," 

 replied one, " although at different homes. I 

 was at the saddler's and my sister at the 

 miller's, and both shared the common hard- 

 ships of being continually worried by a set of 

 idle boys. Stoned, hallooed at, kettles tied to 

 our tails, and all kinds of tricks were played 

 upon us. Whenever anything eatable was 



