THE BOG. 



floor, Emd as soon as it was sufficiently cool it was eaten to their 

 hearts' content. " This plan having been discovered, the lid of 

 the boiler was furnished with an iron rod, passing under the 

 handle, and tied to the handle of the boiler on each side. Only 

 a few days elapsed before the dogs had learned to gnaw the cord 

 asunder, and to help themselves as before. Iron chains were 

 then substituted for the cords, and the meat cooked in safety 

 tor nearly a week. But the ingenuity of the dogs was not to 

 be baffled. They continued to raise themselves on their hind- 

 legs, and by applying their strength at the same moment, 

 pushed the boiler fairly off the fire, and set it rolling on the 

 floor ; when, although the iron chains prevented their getting 

 at the meat, they were enabled to lap up the broth as it 

 Rtreamed on the floor." 



The above-mentioned dogs evinced so much unswerving de- 

 termination and defiance of biirns and scalds, that in all 

 probability they were not of genuine greyhound breed, but 

 indebted for their courage to a dash of bull-dog blood. For 

 this blending of speed with pluck and endurance, the sporting 

 world is indebted to Lord Offord, who was the first to try this 

 crossing with his greyhounds. That the result was perfectly 

 satisfactory may be gathered from the following incident, 

 printed a short time back in a sporting newspaper : — " A 

 gentleman of Worcester, paying a visit to a friend a few miles 

 distant, took with him a brace of greyhounds, for the purpose 

 of a, day's coursing. A hare was soon found, which the dogs 

 chased for several miles, and with such speed as to be very 

 soon out of sight of the party who pursued ; but after a very 

 considerable search, both the dogs and the hare were found 

 dead within a few yards of each other ; nor did it appear that 

 the former had caught the hare, as no marks of violence were 

 discovered on her." 



An anecdote, proving that too implicit confidence may be 

 placed in a dog's sagacity, is related by Mr. "Wood. That 

 gentleman was at the time a school-boy at Oxford, and, 

 in the warm weather, adopted the healthful custom of bathing. 

 While so engaged, however, on one occasion, along with his 

 mates, a thief was observed steaHng off with the wearing 

 apparel of the entire company, and it was only after a smart 

 and interesting chase that he was overtaken and properly 

 ducked for his pains. Although on this occasion they reco- 

 vered their garments, they could scarce help reflecting on what 

 would have been the result if the thief had been too nimble 



