COURAGE OF THE EAT. 
101 
a sturdy opponent for any animal that may venture to assail 
them. 
I was witness to a case of this kind, wherein my dog 
Pincher was most unceremoniously vanquished. We came 
inadvertently upon one of these grizzly gentlemen's retreats. 
He gave us no trouble to unearth him, but came forth with 
all the confidence and daring of a Celtic chief, to take a 
dignified survey of all around, as if to see who or what 
it was that dared to intrude upon his territory. He caught 
sight of Pincher, and with head and tail erect, pressed boldly 
forward to the fray. I cheered on the dog. The attack was 
mutual, but soon ended in the total defeat of poor Pincher. 
Still, I must remind you that Pincher, though a very hand- 
some dog, was nevertheless a chance-bred one. Away he 
ran with all his might, yelping as he went, from the smarting 
effects of a deep wound he received just over the eye ; and 
the conqueror retired doggedly to his hole, after making two 
or three threatening pauses, in apparent defiance of me. 
I could have killed him with my stick, but I was too much 
pleased with him. iSTor did I feel justified, since he had 
won the battle fairly and honourably. However, I paid 
him a visit the next morning, accompanied by my little dog, 
T winger ! Twinger was a small, handsome, high-bred 
animal, not half the weight of Pincher, and possessing all 
the restless petulance and buoyant elasticity of a first-rate 
blood-horse. We were soon on the ground. Out came the 
rat to receive us, and seemed even more resolute than the 
day before. Perhaps his success with Pincher had emboldened 
him. Be that as it may, Twinger no sooner saw him, than at 
it they went, and a most desperate battle ensued. The ground 
was very sloping, being on a hill-side, and they rolled over 
and over several times ; but the rat being so large, the dog's 
mouth was not big enough to grasp him ; consequently the 
dog got most severely punished, which only made him the 
more determined. At last he succeeded in catching him across 
the nape of the neck, and then it was all over with the 
poor rat. Still he struggled boldly to the very last, and 
died like a hero. 
Here was a degree of courage exhibited by a rat that 
I never saw surpassed by any other animal ; for no animal, 
whatever its size or courage may be, can do more than fight 
