102 The Fox Terrier. 



forwarded a blank cheque, with a request that Mr. Vicary 

 would fill in the sum he thought the dog was worth, 

 which amount would be duly met, and no questions asked. 

 Mr. Vicary made the cheque 500/., which was to include 

 payment for a bitch already purchased for 30/. Thus 

 470/. was the sum given for Vice Regal, and this up to 

 that time was the largest amount ever paid for a terrier of 

 any description, and not a bad sum either. 



Mr. Stephens at a later period said he had no reason to 

 regret, even from the purely pecuniary point of view, the big 

 investment he made in fox terriers. It brought him a some- 

 what ephemeral reputation as an exhibitor, introduced him 

 as a judge, and generally provided him with a short-lived 

 popularity which could scarcely be called dear at the money. 

 But the product of these good terriers did not prove so 

 successful as might have been the case, and gradually Mr. 

 Stephens as an exhibitor of fox terriers came to be almost 

 forgotten. But it is not given to any man to breed a Derby 

 winner at will, or a fox terrier champion whenever he 

 wishes to do so. 



How different this from the manner in which the writer 

 and others formed their kennels long years ago ! My 

 foundations cost me about 25/. all told ; and from Riot, a 

 bitch by Old Trap (or said to be), bought for 5/. ; Crack, 

 brother to Trimmer, purchased for 15/. ; and the cost of a 

 stud fee or two (they were not 5/. and 10/. a piece in those 

 days), I formed a very fair kennel indeed, and bred terriers 

 which did far more than their share of winning, including, 

 at any rate, a couple of dogs which were about the best of 

 their year. Crack I sold for 5/. more than I gave for him, 

 then purchased Mac II. for 16/., he good enough to win 

 " the first and cup" at Birmingham in 1871, beating all 



