The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-09 00:00:00

IRE A

MAN.

All the while this serio-comic conversation was
going on, a workman in the coolest possible manner
was working away at a most delicate little leg that
would not have come off second best in the Judg-

went of Paris—a faultless Balmoral boot, and the

daintiest silk stocking covered proportions that
Madame Vestris 'may have envied. •
" These," said my companion, " are some of our
first-class goods. Would you like to see the me-
chanism ? Goodge, pull down the stocking. With
that' the workman bared the limb, whilst my com-

panion put it through its paces. "This, you see,
in our patent knee-cap and patella, and this the
new vulcanised india-rubber tendon Achilles ; here,
in the instep, you will observe a spiral spring ele-
vating the toes, and if you will just observe (open-
ing a little trap-door in the back of the calf), here
is an ingenious contrivance by which the bending
of the knee elevates the front part of the foot, thus
allowing it full play to swing forward clear of the
ground.
Certainly it was an admirable contrivance.
" And can a man or woman progress easily with
that arrangement ?" I said.
" Do you know Lady ?" said he.
" Yes." •
" Nothing the matter there ?" he rejoined inter-
rogatively.
I was obliged to confess, not to my knowledge.
" That's her spare leg, nevertheless," he replied
triumphantly.
" Spare leg ! What do you mean ?" •
" Lord bless you! look into that cupboard. I
have the spare members of half the town there duly
labelled. Things will go wrong with the best con-
ducted limbs ; and to save difficulties we keep dup-
licates here which can be applied at the shortest
notice. A gentlemari,whom we will call Mr. Smith,
once lost the pin out of his knee-joint, and sent here
for his off-leg. A young lad up from the country
sent him another Mr. Smith's box containing an
arm—very awkward."
" Will you allow me ?" said I, trying to read the
names on the boxes.
" Certainly not," said he, Omitting the door and
turning the key : "This is our Blue Beard's cup-
board, and I wouldn't allow even my wife to peep.
But come and look at our hands."
There they were—some clenched, some spread out,
some in the act of holding, some gloved, and dis-
played like Vandykes, as if to challenge attention.
" Now, what will they do ?" said I, almost doubt-
ful whether the clenched fist wouldn't strike.
" Do anything," said he : "By means of the
hook inserted in the palm, it can lift, or hold the
reins, almost as well as the natural member. Ob-
serve the beautiful operatiml of the spring thumb
imitating the grand_ privilege of man and monkey,
by means of which. it can grasp a fork, or lightly
finger a toothpick."
"Do you supply fingers and such small deer ?"
I inquired.
" Fingers, toes, noses, lips,—we take them as they
come. A gentleman with but one finger on his
left hand came to us the other day, and asked to
have the complement made up. We fitted on the
rest, and attached them by means of a signet ring
to the remaining finger—movement perfect ; you
should see him pass his fingers through his hair—
natural as life. The hand is a v-rondf rful thing—
that beats me—legs are mere A B C, but the hand!
—Here," said he, recovering, from his momentary
admiration of nature, "here is a drawing of a
pretty thing. A Hudson's Bay trapper had his
hand bitten off by a bear, and came to us to re-
place it.
" ' Do you want something really useful ?' said I.
" Yes said he.
" So I made him this dagger, fitting into his arm-
stump socket. He sleeps in his dagger. and finds
it particularly handy when there are -bears about.
Look at the action of this spring and rachet-elbow ;
you have only to touch the little button in the
elbow, and the fore-arm closes as natural as life.
Who would wear an empty sleeve when a member
like this can be obtained ? We always recommend
our arm and hand patients to wear a cloak neatly
folded over it, as it prevents any attempt at hand-
shaking. We don't warrant the shake—the touch
.sn't quite natural."—Once a Week.

THE COCKER SPANIEL A TIGER

HUNTER.

It is a courageous little creature, retaining its
dashing boldness even when imported into the
enervating Indian climate, which destroys the
spirit of most dogs, and even reduces the stubborn
bull-dog to a mere poltroon. Captain Williamson,
in his book of " Oriental Field Sports," records an
instance of rash courage on the part of one of 'these
little dogs. " I was shooting near some underwood,
rather thinly scattered among reedy grass, growing
on the edges of a large water-course, which took its
rise near the foot of, the large hill at Muckun
Gunge, when suddely one of a brace of fine cocking
spaniels I had with me ran round a large bush
greatly agitated, and apparently on some game
which I expected to put up. I followed as fast as
I could ; but Paris, which was the dog's name, was
too quick for me, and before I could well get round
the bush, which was aboutten yards from the brink
of the ravine, had come to a stand, his ears pricked,
-his tail wagging like lightning, and his whole
frame in a seeming state of ecstasy. I expected that
he had got a hare under the bank, and, as the
situation was in favour of a shot, I ran towards
him with more speed than I should have done had
I known that instead of a hare, I should find, as I
did, a tiger sitting on its rump, and staring Paris
in the face. They were not above two yards
asunder. 'As soon as the dog found me at his side,
he barked, and giving a spring down dashed at the
tiger. What happened for some moments I really
cannot say ; the surprise and danger which sud-
denly affected me banished at once that presence
of mind which many boast to possess on all emer-
gencies. I frankly confess that my senses were
clouded, and that the tiger might have devoured
me without my knolwing a word of the matter.
However, as soon as my fright had subsided I began,
like a person waking from a dream, to look about,
and saw the tiger cantering away at about a
hundred and fifty yards' distance, with his tail
erect, and followed by Paris, who kept barking ;
hilt when the tiger arrived at a thick cover, he dis-
appeared. I had begun in my mind to compose a
requiem for my poor dog, as I saw him chasing the'
tiger, which I expected every moment would turn
about and let Paris knoiv that he had caught a
Tartar. Though Paris had certainly brought me
' to the gate of destruction, yet he as certainly saved
me. I felt myself indebted to him for preserva-
tion, and consequently was not a little pleased to
see him return safe."—Routledge's Illustrated
Natural History, by the Rev. .1. G. Wood.

TRACKING• POWERS OF THE BLOOD
HOUND.

The magnificent animal which is termed the
bloodhound, on account of its peculiar facility for
tracking a wounded animal through all the mazes
of its devious course, is very scarce in England, as
there is but little' need of these dogs for its chief
employment. In the " good old times" this animal
was largely used by thief-takers, for the purpose
of tracking and securing the robbers who in those
days made the country unsafe, and laid the
roads under a black mail. Sheep-stealers, who
were much more common when the offence
was visited with capital punishment, were fre-
quently detected by the delicate nose of the olood-
hound, which would, when once laid on the scent,
follow it up with unerring precision, unravelling
the single trail from among a hundred crossing
footsteps, and only to be, baffled by water or blood.
Water holds no scent, and if the hunted man is able
to take a long leap into the,water, and get out again
in some similar fashion, he may set at defiance the
bloodhound's nose: if blood be spilt upon the track,
the delicate olfactories of the animal• are blunted,
and it is no longer able to follow the comparatively
weak scent which is left by the retreating footsteps.
Both these methods have been successfully em-
ployed, but in either case great caution is needed.
When the hound suspects that the quarry has taken
to the water, it swims backward and forward, test-
ing every inch of the bank on both sides, and apply-
ing,
its nose to every leaf, stick, or frothy scum that'
comes floating by. In this country the bloodhound
is chiefly employed in deer-shooting, aiding the
sportsman by singling out some animal, and keep-
ing it ever before him, and by driving it
tuancietrytafionr
directions, giving to its master .11n
a gretly
a shot from his rifle. Should the dee°roPffnPo°atrtfuall tot the
shot, but be only wounded, it dashes
here displays his qualities.
increased pace, followed by the blogodhniodherdld,hwyh'tihche
mal, the hound has an easy. t
blood-drops that stud the pathßoeisfnkthiegn vykoeuenpdinegd ani-
mal,
up with his prey at
trail, and by dint of persev.ersitn:eTxheerthiolonodishosuurned to
come
and, therefore, a ra-
-I:eer'meddled with by any
generally irascible in tetmo
ther dangerous animal
r.
So fierce is its desire for
one excepting its owner.
it excited when it reaches
blood, and so utterly
often keep its master at bay
and receive his overtures with
approaches, iwtsh epnre hey ations of an
doge
tht be will
such unmistakeable ouch
h.
that it N-1
until hawsatisfied
Icilrcage of the animal which it
itsno not
appetiteventu re
ot
no app
the
has brought to the ground. When fairly on the
track of the deer the bloodhound utters a peculiar,
g loud, and deep bay, which, if once heard, will
lon,
never be forgotten.,, —.Routledge's Illustrated Natu-
ral History, by the Rev. J. G. Wood.