ANECDOTES ABOUT DOGS 359 



had the slightest idea of playing any prank on you," 

 and when I returned, I found my boots in my room. 



I came across, in an old French work, the following 

 curious, if true, method of fishing, in which the services 

 of a Poodle, or Terrier were called into action. The 

 enthusiastic sportsman who fears neither storms nor 

 sunstroke (coup de soldi) makes his appearance at the 

 Riverside without either fishing rod, lines, worms, flies 

 or bait, of any description, but having under his left 

 arm a double-barrelled gun, in his right hand, a large 

 cabbage and following at his heels a clever Poodle or 

 Terrier dog. The fisherman, or huntsman, I scarcely 

 know which to call him, now duly reconnoitres the 

 river, fixes upon some tree, the large and lower 

 branches of which hang out over the water, ascends 

 with his gun and cabbage, and having taken up his po- 

 sition upon one of the large projecting branches, 

 closely examines the surface of the stream beneath him. 



He has, usually, not been long on his perch, before he 

 perceives a stately pike, or other member of the finny 

 tribe, paddling up the river, he instantly breaks a leaf 

 off the cabbage, and when the fish has approached suffi- 

 ciently near, throws it into the water, the frightened 

 fish immediately disappears, but shortly after rises, and 

 grateful to the kind and unknown friend who has pro- 

 vided this admirable parasol, swims towards it, and 

 after pushing it about for a while with his nose, finally 

 places himself comfortably under its protecting and 

 congenial shade. 



The sportsman in the tree, watching the animated 

 movements of the cabbage leaf, immediately fires, 



