236 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



life dawned upon him in the warm stable, the 

 cold bam, or the melliferous cowhouse, must 

 remain a matter for doubt. 



Though no trace of his parents can be 

 obtained, it is presumed, on the authority of 

 his coat and legs, that they were poor, but 

 respectable ; earning their bread, like lawyers, 

 by the sweat of their tongue. Yet were 

 they descended from a long line of ancestors ; 

 sprung, on the one side, from the mountainous 

 districts of Scotland, and, on the other, from 

 the peaceful sheep-walks of Yorkshire. In 

 truth he was a sheep-dog — a little " crossed" 

 'tis true ; but none the worse for that. In 

 early life he evinced a pugnacious disposition, 

 which may probably be ascribed to the 

 amiable disposition of his master's youngest 

 son, who, in a fit of sportive glee, threw him 

 down a well, when but three weeks old ; 

 causing the fracture of live of his ribs. This 

 was a most unlucky hit ; for no sooner did he 

 recover the full vigor of his lungs, than he 

 began to use them most lustily on the ap- 

 proach of his young playmates. On one 

 occasion, he even went so far as to inflict a 

 wound on the infantine arm, whereon the 

 prints of his juvenile canines were most 

 vividly impressed ; and for which Snarl was 

 well flogged with a hedge-stake until three 

 more of his unfortunate ribs went in. 



After this most momentous occurrence, a 

 more humble frame of mind began to shew 

 itself; and, poor fellow, he endeavored to 

 fawn kindly on the hand which had punished 

 him. But, alas ! his evil star was in the 

 a-eendant, and his good intentions were 

 called treachery. He was soon after banished 

 from the home of his youth, and sold into 

 the service of an illustrious pij-jobber. 

 Here he remained until the day of his death, 

 enjoying many opportunities for revenging 

 the numerous injuries he had received in 

 early life at the hand of man, and from the 

 foot and mouth of beast. 



Fortunately for Snarl, the strong hides of 

 his associates were not over and above sen- 

 sitive ; so that lie could indulge in a tough 

 pull without exciting his enemy to deadly 

 strife. Yet he met with one misfortune by 

 this — namely, the irreparable fracture of one 

 of his beautiful canine teeth. Fortune seemed 

 to have a secret grudge against poor Mr. 

 Snarl ; though for what reason, I am unable 

 to define. He had already made all dogs in 

 the market-place bow before him, and in- 

 flicted summary punishment on every pig 

 his master bought. But at last he encountered 

 his match. 



Now it must be understood that Snarl was 

 peculiarly fond of tail — no part to him offered 

 such a convenient bite, and such a fund of 

 amusement when bitten. He was, one day, 

 busily enjoying himself with this sport, when 

 in his rounds he smartly tugged at the tail of 



a surly old sow ; but, alas, like many other 

 sharpers, he had " got the wrong sow by the 

 tail." It grunted, turned, and charged. A 

 combat ensued. Snarl down, first round. Up, 

 at it. Pig upset fat lady, and Snarl into basket 

 of eggs. At it again, and down beneath the 

 feet of a colt, who kicked in three more of 

 his ribs. Ihe seconds interfering, victory 

 was proclaimed on the side of Grumpily ; 

 and Snarl was carried off the field in a pig- 

 cart. 



Being thrown into the stable, on his return 

 home, he was noticed to bleed from a wound 

 in the left hind-leg ; and, on examination, the 

 sage pig-jobber, though three -parts drunk, 

 returned a verdict of " Wilful biting against 

 some dog or pig unknown." Rumour's tongues 

 are at great variance on the subject of his 

 recovery ; but, going to that which seemed 

 the longest, it informed me that, though Ids 

 ribs were mended, he was never seen to smile 

 again. 



Some months after the occurrence of the 

 incident above narrated, Mr. Snarl felt an 

 unpleasant sensation about the region of his 

 stomach ; with nervous sickness, and loathing 

 of his food, followed by a general fever all 

 over. In short, to tell the truth — which, by 

 the way, is more than most biographers care 

 to do — he was attacked by a bilious fever. 

 Whether this was induced by indulgence in 

 spirits, or not, I cannot find out. This fever 

 very ungenerously excited another of a more 

 dangerous character, the germs of which he 

 had received, with the bite, in the late scuffle ; 

 and, as a dire consummation to this l 'sad 

 eventful history," he became mad ! 



No appearance of this gentleman's disorder 

 was observable on the day previous to that 

 of his decease. He certainly was languid 

 and irresolute ; but so quiet, that he even 

 submitted to have his head held while his 

 nostrils were filled with the abominable fumes 

 of Nicotiana Tobacum, for the amusement of 

 two intelligent blackguards. But the fatal 

 hour arrived. On the afternoon of Friday, 

 the 11th March, 1853, Snarl dashed into town 

 like a mad thing ; his hair wildly erect, his 

 eyes flashing fire, and his teeth in threatening 

 attitude. On, on he rushed ; spreading dire 

 dismay among cats and curs, biting and 

 snapping as he went. 



There was a general melee. " Mad dog !" 

 was echoed from lips of all shapes, sizes, and 

 colors ; and weapons of all kinds, from the 

 martial rifle to the humble spade, were dis- 

 play ed against him. Regardless of opposition , 

 he boldly held on his way — through one 

 street, down this alley, and across that court ; 

 tearing as he went, and caring nothing whether 

 his victims were the property of beggar, 

 baker, or bishop. 



" Stop him, Bill ! " shouted the valiant 

 butcher. But Bill retired fearfully into a 



