For instance, when some pert young
puppy would come forward, and civilly enough request his "one or two
penn'orth of natives," Bruin would first insist on having the money paid
down, and would then tantalise his customer by offering him the opened
oyster and hastily withdrawing it just as the impatient jaws were about
to close on the desired morsel, and so on to the end, to the vast
irritation of many an irascible little animal.

And a day came when this same spirit caused the upset of his trade, and
set a veto upon his "selling the natives," at least in Caneville, for
the future. A fox and a young terrier had both paid their money, and
were eagerly waiting for their oysters, disturbing by their clamour a
grave old dog who was licking the shell of his last penn'orth, when a
domestic from a wealthy family, arrayed in a superb livery cloak, came
up to order a lot for his master. The usual game--if it can be called
so, when all the fun was on one side, was being played--three distinct
efforts had been made by Terrier to get his second instalment, when, in
the struggle which ensued, the vinegar-bottle was knocked over, the cork
came out, and the perfidious liquid, highly adulterated with vitriol
(for, to their shame be it spoken, the dogs of distillers did not
hesitate to endanger the lives of the inhabitants by such practices),
poured in full volume over the rich livery-cloak of the servant, which
was completely spoiled. The master, who was as powerful as he was
avaricious, made a formal complaint against Bruin and his stall as a
nuisance; and as it was impossible even in Caneville to obtain perfect
justice, the report, without other inquiry, was taken as correct, and
Bruin, boiling with rage, had the mortification of seeing his tubs
smashed, his stall destroyed, and his "natives" scattered all abroad
without being able to strike a blow in their defence.

DOWN HILL.

Bruin, that great animal, was seated on a bank overhanging the river,
which, being shallow at this spot, brawled loudly over its pebbly bed,
some parts of which were dry. It was at such a distance from the city,
that all the noises common to its streets were united into one buzz or
hum, and the whole scene was well adapted to suggest meditations upon
private matters, or the affairs of the world in general. Yet Bruin did
not seem influenced by any such reflections: if one might venture a
guess from the appearance of his physiognomy, one would say that