The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-02-05


been at Culloden, he took pinch, knclt
down, and presented it to the nose of
the Chicken. The laws of physiology
and of snuff take their course, the
Chicken sncczcs, and Yarrow is free!
The young pastoral giant stalks off
with larrow in his arms, comforting him.
But the Chickens blood is up, and
his soul unsatsiiod; he grips the first
dog he meets, but discovering she is not
a dog, in Homcric phrase, he makes a
brief sort of cmende, and is off. The
boys, with Bob and me at their head, are
after him: down Niddry street he goes,
bent on mischief; up the Cowgate like
an arrow-Bob and /, and our small
men, painting behind.
There, under the large arch of the
South Bridge, is huge mastifr, saun-
tering down the middle of the causeway,
as il with his hands in his pockets he is
old, gray, brindled; as big as a little
Highland bull, and has the Shakexperian
dewiaps shaking as he goes.
The Chicken makes straight at him,
and iastens Or his throat. 70 our as
tonishmcnt the great creature does
nothing but stand still, hold himself up
and roar-ycs, roar long, serious,
ramonstrativc roar. How is this ? Bob
and are up to them. He is mussLed !
The bailics had proclaimed a general
muzzlng, and his master, studying
strength and economy mainly, had en-
compassed his huge jaws in u homemade
apparatus, constructed out Of the leather
of some ancient breechin. His mouth
was open as far as it could his lips
curlcd up in rage--a sort of terrible
grin; his teeth cleaning, ready, FROM
out the darkness the strap across his
mouth tense as q bowstring his whole
frame stiff with indignation and surprise :;
his roar asking us all round, L" Did you
ever see the Ike Of this 2" lie looked
statue Of anger and astonishmcnt,
done in Aberdeen granite.
We soon Lsd crowd the Chicken
held on. "a knife :" cried Bob and
cobbler gave him his knife you know
the kind Of knife, worn away obliquely
to point, and always keen. | put its
edge to the tense leather: it ran before
II ; and then one sudden Jerk of that
enormous head, a sort Of dirty mist about
his mouth, no noiSc-and the bright and
fierce little fellow is dropped, Imp and
dead. y solemn pause this was more
than any of US had bargaincd for. |
turned the little fellow over aud saw he
was quite dead the mastif had taken
Iy l,, s,,,,,11 rf =
and broken it.
lie looked down on his victimappeascd,
ashamed and amazed snutiicd him all
over, stared at him, and, taking sudden
thought, turned round and trottnd off.
Bob TOOK the dead dog up and sal j.,
"Join, we'll bury him after ga
Yes" said | f.; and was off after the
mastiff. lie made up TIE Cowgate at
rapid swing; he had forgotten some
engagement. lie turned up the Candle
maker Row, and stopped at the Harrow
Inn.
There was carriers cart ready to
start, and keen, thin, inpatient, black
advised little man, his hand at his gray
horses head, looking about angrlly for
something. Crab, We thief" said he,
aiming kick at my great friend, who
drew bringing up, and avoiding the heavy
shoe with more agility than dignity, and
watching his masters eye, SUNK dis
mayed under the cart-his ears down,
and as much as lie had of tail down too.
What a man this must be-thought
TO whom my tremendous hero turns
tail. The carrier saw the muzZle hang
ing, cut and useless, from his neck, and
l eagerly told him the story, which Bob
and always thought, and still think,
Homer or King David, or Sir Walter,
alone were worthy to rehcarse. The
severe little man was mitigated, and
condcsccnded to say, "Rab, ma man,
puir Rabbic," whcrcupon the stump of a
tail rose up, the ears were cooked, the
eyes filled, and were comiortcd ; the two
friends were reconciled. i" IIupp !" and
a stroke of the whip were given to jess,
and off went the three.
Rob and | buried the Game Chicken
that night 1--WE hadn't much of toa) in
the back-green Of his house, in Melville
street, No. II, with considerable gravity
and silence and being at the time in
the Had, and, like all boys, Trojans,
we called him, Of course, Hector.
Six years have passcd-a long time
for a boy and dog: Bob Ainslie is off
to the wars am a medical student,
and clerk at aiinto House Hospital.
Rab | saw almost every week, on the
Wednesday; and we had much pleasant
intimacy. | found the way to his heart
by frequent scratchings of his huge head j.,
and an occasional bone. When did not
notice him he would plant himself straight
before me, and stand wagging that bud
of a tail, aud looking up, with his head
little to the one side. His master |
occasionally saw; he used to call me
d" Master john" but was laconic as any
Spartan.
One fine October afternoon | was
leaving the hospital, when | saw the
large gate open, and in walked Rab, with
that great and easy sauner of his. He
looked as if taking general possession of
the place like the Duke of Wellington
entering a subducd city, satated with
victory and peace. After him came
jess, now white from age, with her cart;