CHARACTER OF THE DOG. 13 



a stone at the heads of the two bullies. The peo- 

 ple of the neighborhood were too busy to attend 

 to the quarrels of dogs ; so that, unless the fates 

 interfered in some unforeseen way, there really 

 appeared to be no salvation for Tim, since, in the 

 ordinary course of things, there was every pros- 

 pect that the breath of life was eventually to be 

 worried out of his nostrils. 



Months passed away, and the dog increased 

 in size and strength, but the evil under which he 

 had so long howled was by no means abated. So 

 far from it, indeed, that he was now obliged to 

 leave the baker every morning at the first street 

 above the court, and make the circuit of the 

 square to escape the expectant fangs of these two 

 sons of Cerberus. 



We have no doubt that this troubled Tim 

 exceedingly, for a close observer of these saga- 

 cious animals will tell you, that if there is any 

 thing which a faithful dog takes a praiseworthy 

 pride in, it is in appearing to the best advantage 

 in the eyes of his master. It is but fair to state 

 that the two tyrants sometimes engaged in terri- 

 ble combats with strange dogs, and that, so far as 

 we can learn, they invariably came off victorious. 

 No doubt these desperate contests, witnessed from 

 afar, struck additional terror into the heart of 

 Tim. 



