The Deerhound. 21 



possible, and Archibald Macneill would have deemed 

 incomprehensible. 



There is no handsomer dog than the deerhound — 

 he has the elegance of shape, the light, airy appear- 

 ance of the greyhound, a hard, crisp, and picturesque 

 jacket, either of fawn or grey brindle, an eye as 

 bright as that of the gazelle, but loving, still sharp 

 and intelligent ; and a good specimen has not a bad 

 feature about him. His disposition is of the best ; he 

 is sensible and kindly ; and friends of mine to whom 

 I gave a puppy, on its death refused to be consoled 

 by any other dog than one of the same variety. 



" It's a blooming lurcher," is the yokel's idea of a 

 deerhound, an opinion in which the cockney corner 

 man evidently coincides. Either will pass a rude 

 remark about your aristocratic canine companion. 

 The Scotsman away from home, be he out at 

 elbows, or otherwise, pays compliments to the dog. 

 If his shoes are down at the heels, the chances are 

 he is the sole survival of a chieftain of some great 

 clan, and, on the strength of your possession of one of 

 his native quadrupeds, will seek to allay his thirst, or 

 penchant for Glenlivat, at your expense. Still, I do 

 not fancy that the deerhound is quite so popular as 

 a companion over the border as he is on this side the 

 border. Englishmen have paid greater attention to 

 his breeding ; the honours to be gained at shows 



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