232 
THE RAT. 
Tiny, -vvhen he died, had contended in upwards of fifty public 
matches, all of which he won. Suffice it to say, he had never 
suffered a defeat, and had destroyed over live thousand, or 
nearly a ton and a half weight of rats. He had also been 
presented with numerous beautiful and valuable collars, both 
by gentlemen of rank and public subscription. On one 
occasion a nobleman offered a hundred pounds for Tiny ; 
or rather, he offered a hundred guineas for Tiny and a lesser 
dog, worth only five pounds, which left a hundred pounds 
for Tiny ; but which offer was promptly refused by his mas- 
ter. His manner of killing was different from anything of 
the kind I ever saw. In a heavy match, when put into the 
pit, he would set as steadily to work as any little old man 
going on a journey. The rats always get into the corners, 
and there form pyramids, five and six layers deep, resting 
on each other's backs. Sometimes, if they do not stir them 
about, the under ones will be suffocated. But instead of 
dashing in among them, as most high-bred dogs do. Tiny 
"would stand quietly at one heap, and pick out the largest 
first, and then be off to the next heap ; and so on, till he 
had disposed of all the biggest. He never bit a rat twice, 
or ever shook one ; but after he had dropped it, it was a 
pound to a penny that it never rose again. When he 
became tired, he would leave off, and lie down in the middle 
of the pit for his master to w^ash his mouth, and refresh him 
by blowing on him ; but as soon as he had gathered his 
wind a little, he would up and at it again ; and so on until 
every rat lay dead. On one occasion, all his front teeth fell 
out, except one fang, with which he finished the match vic- 
toriously. Several gentlemen begged a tooth each as a great 
favour, and had them mounted in silver and gold, to pre- 
serve as relics of this most wonderful little creature. 
Tiny died from over excitement. Some men had a rat in 
the parlour, and though Tiny was chained in the bar, and 
could not see it, still, such was the state he had worked 
,himself into, that they became alarmed ; and though they 
let him kill it, he died soon after. On examination it was 
found that he had burst his heart in three places ; at least 
so his master informs me. And this was the end of Tiny, 
the rat-kill i'l a: wonder of the world. He was afterwards 
stuffed, and u now exhibited in a glass case. But his master 
