178 FIELD AND FERN. 



them) were enough, and he rendered a surly 

 obedience at last. 



A lot of black-and-white puppies by him, from 

 Eally, were in the compartment below, where Ruler, 

 ^^ about the last living drop of old John Peel's blood," 

 lay curled up. He was just alive, and that was about 

 all ; but he recovered after some months of the most 

 tender nursing ; and he will leave behind him a rare 

 character as a dragger, fighter, and marker. He 

 still requires a good deal of care ; and he, Koyal, 

 Collier, and MalakhofF are all fed by the Doctor^ s own 

 hand. Collier has also seen a good deal of fun, as well 

 as trouble, in his time. He once returned from a 

 trip with what proved under the microscope to be 

 mange in three forms — disease at the root of the hair 

 bulb, the vegetable parasite, and the scab animal- 

 cule ; but the Doctor fell back promptly on his pro- 

 fessional resources, and the enemy was smitten hip 

 and thigh. 



The descent of the pack from the cage, one by one, 

 down a narrow gangway, with Ringwood growling 

 like a ratepayer in the rear of all, was the scene of 

 the evening ; and the white Malakhoff made us rub 

 our eyes to be quite sure that it was not Mr. Mor- 

 relFs old Trumpeter come back from the gorse of 

 shadows. Like him he is nearly perfect at every- 

 thing, and with quite as deep a tongue. He and 

 Ringwood both went down in ^63 with special retain- 

 ers to Carlisle, and distinguished themselves highly 

 before Mr. Justice Carr by their eloquence on Bre- 



