I/O Salmon Fishing. 



crying out bitterly with Ben at his tail, his teeth 

 fast fixed not in his flesh, but his nether gar- 

 ments, and holding him as firm as a rock ? 



It appeared that the terrified boy had been at 

 his old tricks ; that the gardener had given 

 chase, but could not catch him ; and that Ben, 

 hearing the commotion, was just in time, as 

 the thief escaped from the gate, to rush down 

 the road and pin him. So comical was the 

 spectacle, that I roared with laughter, Ben all 

 the time looking as grave and dignified as a 

 judge. 



Very seldom was I troubled with garden- 

 thieves after this. 



Nor was Ben less brave than sagacious, as 

 the following incident will verify. One day 

 when the groom was exercising a horse of mine 

 on the Down not far off, accompanied by Ben, 

 he saw coming towards him a dog he knew 

 had the reputation of being not only a quarrel- 

 some, ill-conditioned brute, but the best fighter 

 in the neighbourhood. " Now," said the groom, 



