Solitude and Company 179 



the fence, with a menacing glare in his 

 eye, " Don't you touch that dog. If you 

 do, by " 



" Do you expect me to stand still here 

 and have him chew my legs?" I asked, in 

 a tone intended to be sarcastic ; and I did 

 not wait for his answer, but lunged at the 

 animal with the bayonet. It jabbed him 

 in the leg, and he ran away kiyi-ing. I 

 respect the affection that subsists between 

 a good dog and a good man, but an ill- 

 mannered hound represents a family that 

 does not deserve honor. 



As most creatures treat you decently, 

 so, as you walk, let the living things alone. 

 If you will murder them, confess yourself 

 barbarian. Don't allege that ancient ex- 

 cuse of science, at all events. The bird's 

 feathers were all described and counted 

 centuries ago. Please leave him in the 

 tree to sing. The distance from the wood- 

 chuck's alisphenoid to his supra-occipital 

 has been measured and charted. Let him 

 make holiday. If this murder and suffer- 

 ing are to continue, in pretence of a ser- 

 vice to certain other animals called men, 



