6o 



THE ANGLER'S SOUVENIR. 



observed him rush from under the cart, called him 

 off. " He is a savage-looking animal," said I to the 

 man, as the dog skulked slowly to his resting-place. 

 " He is a savage," replied the man, " and we never 

 let him lowse but in places where we dinna expect 

 to meet strangers. It's weel for ye that I saw him 

 spring up, or he wad hae had your thropple out 

 afore ye could cry 'Jack Robison.' " I felt the 

 truth of this at the moment most forcibly, as I was 

 walking, in consequence of the heat of the day, 

 with no handkerchief on and my neck bare. I 

 afterwards learnt that the savage disposition of 

 this dog was purposely encouraged by his owner, 

 who occasionally smuggled a little whisky from the 

 Scottish side into England, for the purpose of 

 keeping excisemen at a distance. 



SIMPSON. I am not so sceptical as you are. I 

 can believe this of Byron 



FISHER. Can you ? Then you entertain more 

 uncharitable feelings towards his memory than I 

 do, for what can you think of the man who could 

 be guilty of such an act of wanton cruelty and insult 

 to a friend, or acquaintance, if you please, who was 

 neither young nor strong ? To have placed a pailful 

 of water over the door, and thus practically have 

 given him a cool reception as he entered, would 

 have been a better joke, and more excusable. 



SIMPSON. I think it the act of a man whose 

 better feelings had been brutalized by having little 

 or no social intercourse with those whose conduct, 



