THE SOG. 



men, he endeavoured to conceal his weakness by the aid of u 

 formidable exterior, and few who knew him not would ever 

 venture to insinuate that he was not brave as a Hon. If he 

 happened to encounter any other dog with which he was unac- 

 quainted, he would immediately stand perfectly still, raise his 

 tail, and keep it very firmly in one position ; he would then 

 elevate the hair on his back, and, dragging up his jowls, would 

 exhibit a. formidable array of grinders. Thus exhibiting a by 

 no means prepossessing appearance, he would merely growl, 

 whilst the other dog walked round him, and he thus frequently 

 prevented any liberties being taken with him. No sooner had 

 his visitor left him than his attitude would change, and with a 

 glance as much as to say ' I did that very well,' he would jog. 

 along before me. In spite of his warlike positions, he was once 

 terribly punished by a little terrier which resided in a butcher's 

 shambles. Passing this locality, my dog was set upon before 

 he had time to study attitudes or assume a ;gose, so he made 

 good use of his legs and escaped with a few scratches. 



" Now it happened that among his friends he had one which 

 was a well-bred buU-terrier, and, after the mauling that he had 

 received from the butcher's dog, I noticed that he was very 

 much oftener with this friend than he had been before. The 

 next time I attempted to. take bim past the shambles he 

 refused, and retreated home. I followed him, and by dint of 

 whistling, brought him out from his retreat, from which he was 

 followed by the bnll-terider. The two jogged along very plea- 

 santly and cheerfully, my dog evidently paying marked atten- 

 tion to his friend. Wben we approached the locality of the 

 shambles, my dog ran along in front, whilst the bull-terrier 

 followed behind, and both looked as though they were " up" to 

 something. Opposite the shambles the terrier rushed out at 

 my dog, which retreated with astonishing precipitancy behind 

 his friend, who at once collared the assailant, and tumbled bim 

 over to the tune of the joyful barks of my old cur, which had 

 evidently made with his friend the preliminary an-angement for 

 this scene." 



That dogs are capable of scheming together, and of carrying 

 out their schemes jointly or separately, no end of evidence might 

 be collected. A curious instance of this was once witnessed by 

 my brother and myself. We were walking through a bye street 

 in Islington, when there came trotting tip the street towards 

 us two ragged, mud-spattered, cross-bred curs, with "tramp" 

 and " beggar " visibly written on iheir countenances. They were 



