The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-31
Cbe Story of
 H Fox Cerrier

Some lover of the canine, rightly or not has described the Fox terrier dog as the greatest bundle of energy in the smallest compass the whole animal Kingdom affords. That they are ener- getic every owner of one knows. In addition thereto they have other traits, sticktoativness for another.
 Years ago l was in the livery stable business in Southern city. My barn, partly brick, partly frame had been built and used over twenty years when bought it and at the time of which write sheltered besides mine and my patrons steeds. a whole army of rats. The depredations of the rodents on feed stuffs generally were a serious matter and despite all attempts to re- duce them numerically by mechanical contrivances-the use of poisions I feared and cats I despised then and now-evidences were abundant that they were increasing continually.
 One fall I took to board a saddle pony, the property of a gentleman who also owned a beautiful fox-terrier fe- male. "Nettle" by name and as she af- rewards proved to the rats. Kettle by nature too. Occasionally she would follow her owners pony to my barn and at such times would take a run over the place, noticing not a human, but sniffing here and scratching there as terriers do when on the scent of yer min. These periodical visits sufficed for some weeks but eventually her at- tendance became as regular as the re- turn of the evening, each and every visit being prolonged through the en- tire night. We now began to see more rodents than ever. but dead ones. Each recurring morning would show up from two to a dozen lifeless. whilst Kettles nf at yVifh the "old buIls'"--as the sbtable darkies called the large ones-in punctures and scars here and there on face and jaws. I know am within the truth in saying that for six months in succession she prepared for burial on an average over one hundred rats per month.
 I went to the loft one day the fol- lowing spring to have a place cleared up for a consignment of corn I was daily expecting. Kettle followed. The dar- key in moving things round, disturbed an old stager-gray with age, doubt less one of the original settlers-who on being so disturbed made one jump for the opening in the floor fin the loft through which hay is dropped in to the rack for the horses below. Be- fore l could call her. Nettle had jump ed too in fact. dog and rat disappeared through the opening simultaneously. As soon as I could. and in less time than 1t takes to tell it. looked below but instead of seeing as I expected. a cripple dog, but no rat. beheld very lively Fox terrier. shaking out in the usual energetic manner, what little life there remained in her victim.
 She was none the worse physically for her sudden descent. but on the other hand I verily believe she profit ed by the experience~and afterwards repeated 1t after a fashion in iassoeing another old gray, between which and the mouth of his run she had previ- ously made many intellectual attempts to interpose her anatomy. A few days after the drop incident above related, noticed her laid in one of the ten by twelve rafters that spanned the stable floor, from loft to loft. Though her position was in full view of the foraging ground of the last named wary old rodent. on. first seeing her I never for a moment dreamt' that she pro- posed securing this particular fellow who had escaped her teeth so many times by the skin of his-by descend ing on his from above.
 In the quiet of the evening, long be- fore dusk, his ratship would emerge from his retreat, pick up a grain here. another there-one eye continually open for a certain Fox terrier dog--but never Venturing far from the opening in the earths surface, into which, bar ing interceptions. he could disappear from view with an alacrity born of long practice.
 For some days became so interested in the tactics of the two-dog and rat, that at times the phone, or more prop erly speaking the party using 1t, didn't always get the attention due. Maybe other parts of my business suffered too; I couldn't help it. Just then I was studying strategy.
 The apparent absence of his invete- rate enemy began to embolden mister rat. By degrees he fOraged farther and farther still from the mouth of his un- derground dwelling, at times affording his foe on the rafter view of several feet between himself and safety. l would then look up at Kettle and the way she would lick her jaws and wag with slow, pendulum-like regularity. the stump of a tail she owned. seemed to say, Yes. that's pretty good chance. but waitr At other timess he would rise almost to her feet and seem to be deciding then and there the ques- tion ito jump or not to jump.
 One can imagine the patience dis played by my canine friend when l say this maneuvering was kept up for four consecutive evenings. I was the usual interested spectator on the third of these evenings. expecting every min ute to see the grand leap, at times eye inR the distaurA and tnWardly debating