2o8 THE DOG TRIBE. 



so perfect in her form, that she was pronounced to be the perfection 

 of beauty and symmetry. She had a favourite little lap-dog ; and one 

 day it bit her slightly. The wound was trifling, it soon got well, 

 and nothing more was thought about it ; but at last the fatal day 

 of sorrow dawned upon the family, and bade them prepare for the 

 worst. Symptoms of hydrophobia made their appearance j paroxysm 

 succeeded paroxysm; the art of medicine failed to bring relief, and 

 this lovely lady sank in death. She still is seen in well-executed 

 prints, which represent her standing on a globe, with one foot barely 

 touching it she herself in the act of ascending to " another, and a 

 better world." 



More than half a century ago my family had a most narrow escape 

 from a rabid dog. The story is as follows : A connexion of ours 

 was on a visit at Walton Hall. He was a dog-fancier, and had pur- 

 chased a young terrier from a person who assured him that it had 

 come from the Isle of Skye, in Scotland. This, of course, made the 

 dog more interesting than if it had been a mere Yorkshire whelp ; 

 so that it was much caressed by every individual, and it had the run 

 of the house. One morning, as his master and myself were going 

 along the highway on horseback, suddenly the pet terrier took off at 

 full speed, in a straight line before us, and never swerved in the 

 least, either to the right or to the left, so long as he kept in sight. 

 " I 'm sure that dog is mad," said I. " Impossible," replied his master ; 

 "we were all playing with him not two hours ago at breakfast." 

 " No matter," said I, " he is stark mad, and we shall see no more of 

 him to-day." I was right; and we returned without him. However, he 

 made his appearance on the following morning, strong and healthy, 

 to the infinite joy of his master. But I held to my first impression ; 

 and it was some time before I could persuade his master to let him 

 be tied up. Seeing that I was determined, he at last consented ; and 

 forthwith the dog was secured in the stable by a new collar and 

 chain. In the evening of that very day the terrier showed symptoms 

 of hydrophobia. He flew at me every time that I opened the stable 

 door. Then he would become exhausted, and lie down on the straw, 

 and then up again, and so on till he lay unable to rise ; and soon 

 after this death closed the scene. So far for the Skye-terrier tragedy. 

 The farce had soon to follow. My poor mother was dreadfully 



