122 NATURAL HISTORY. 



so get at the broth, although the meat was out of their reach. The man who looked after them 

 expressed himself heartily glad when they were gone ; for he said he was often afraid to go into the 

 kennel, and was sure they were devils and not Dogs." 



The foregoing Dogs were all dishonest in a tolerably open sort of way, and are comparable to 

 human burglars and shop-lifters ; but the animal of whom the following tale is told disdained plain 

 dealing, and went in for something akin to the well-known " confidence dodge," by which so many 

 unsuspecting countrymen are every year taken in by London sharpers : 



" I once, under somewhat singular circumstances, made the acquaintance of a Dog, as arrant 

 a vagabond and impostor as ever ran on four legs, but whose shortcomings were, I feel convinced, 

 occasioned by circumstances entirely beyond his control. He was above the medium size, and of 

 handsome proportions, except for one or two blemishes. There was an air of superior breeding about 

 the animal ; his coat was silky and genteel, and his bright eyes beamed with intelligence. Owing, 

 however, to an accident of birth, a taint of the most objectionable cur kind had crept into his 

 composition. It announced itself in distorting to bandiness his otherwise symmetrical fore-legs, and 

 in a shapeless, club-like tail, which usurped the place of a wavy, graceful terminal appendage such as 

 would have been his had not his breed been mai'red. A close observer might have remarked, as well 

 as the peculiarities mentioned, a raffish drooping of the left eyelid and an up-curving of the upper lip 

 on the right side, as though the animal had been used to pot-house company, and they had taught him 

 the trick of holding a short pipe there. But, on the whole, and at a cursory glance, he was quite a 

 nice-looking Dog. 



" The first occasion of our meeting was very late one wintry night, when the snow lay half a foot 

 deep on the street pavement. I cannot say if he first caught sight of me or I of him, for he was 

 crouched in the shadow of a lamp-post, seemingly on the chance of there coming that way a 

 compassionate pedestrian who might be induced to give him a night's lodging. Our eyes met, and had 

 I been a long-lost relative he could not have been more suddenly inspired with joy. He bounded to 

 his feet, and proclaimed his good-luck in tones that must have awakened all the babies in the 

 neighbourhood. I quickened my step, but he appeared to regard this as a friendly response to his 

 friskiness, and he barked the louder. For peace' and quietness' sake I adjured him as ' Good Dog.' 

 That did the business. He had no objection to trotting soberly by my side on that understanding, 

 and so together we arrived at my domicile. 



" It was altogether against the rules of the establishment to admit strange Dogs, but under such 

 circumstances what could I do ] His genteel appearance pleaded for him. The mere fact of his 

 having, like a blundering, stupid, honest tyke, jumped to the conclusion that I looked just the sort of 

 man to befriend a houseless Dog, spoke in his favour. Every one was in bed as I opened the door with 

 my latch-key, and not too deeply to compromise myself I pointed out to my canine intruder that his 

 place for the night was the door-mat. I went down-stairs and searched for scraps, and got him together 

 a tolerably good supper, and left him perfectly comfortable. 



"I cannot believe that at that time he had it in his mind to abuse my confidence, or to act towards 

 me in any way the reverse of honourable. It must have been that unfortunate one-eighth of cur that, 

 made bold by beef-bones, rose against the animal's better nature, and conquered it. Anyhow, when 

 the outer door was opened to the newspaper-boy next morning, the servant was scared by the spectacle 

 of a Dog taking the whole flight of steps at a leap, and making off with part of a leg of poi'k in its 

 mouth. The villain had feloniously extracted it from the pantry, which I had inadvertently left open 

 when I went foraging for him. Besides the pork he had carried off, he had helped himself during the 

 night to a small steak-pie, about a pound of fresh butter, and a fine rasher of ham. I had but little 

 expectation of encountering the canine traitor ever again ; but I did so. About a week after, at dead 

 of night, and in the pouring rain, once more I made out his crouching figure in the shadow of the 

 identical lamp-post. Again our eyes met, and, as on the previous occasion, he instantly leapt to his 

 feet. Not to cut capers about me. However, his guilty fears did not make of him a faltering, 

 trembling coward. He took in the whole situation at a glance, including my vengefully-grasped 

 umbrella, and, with one brisk bark of derision, made off at a speed which quickly carried him out of 

 sight. Since then I have frequently encountered him, but it has been in the busy streets at daytime, 

 but he does not run away. If he can avoid my eye he does so. If he cannot and with his 



VLUHOf 



guilt 



