im.
He gave him a good supper, and on retiring took him with him to his
chamber. No sooner had he pulled off his breeches than they were seized by
the dog; the owner, conceiving that he wanted to play with them, took them
away. The animal began to bark at the door, which the traveller opened,
thinking the dog wanted to go out. The dog snatched up the breeches and
away he flew, the traveller posting after him with his nightcap on. The
dog ran full speed to his master's house, followed by the stranger, who
accused the dog of robbing him. "Sir," said the master, "my dog is a very
faithful creature; and if he ran away with your breeches, it is because
you have in them money which does not belong to you." The traveller became
still more angry. "Compose yourself, sir," rejoined the other, smiling;
"without doubt there is in your purse a five-shilling piece which you
picked up in the road, and which I hid knowing my dog would bring it back.
This is the cause of the robbery which he has committed upon you." The
stranger acknowledged the truth of the tradesman's statement, delivered up
the coin, and departed.

[Illustration]

ANECDOTE LIV.

Musical Seals.

Seals have a very delicate sense of hearing, and are much delighted with
music. A gentleman, in his account of a voyage to Spitzbergen, mentions
that the captain of the ship's son, who was fond of playing on the violin,
never failed to have a numerous auditory when in the seas frequented by
these animals; and he has seen them follow the ship for miles when any
person was playing on deck.

[Illustration]

ANECDOTE LV.

A Sly Couple.

A gentleman in the county of Stirling kept a greyhound and a pointer, and
being fond of coursing, the pointer was accustomed to find the hares, and
the greyhound to catch them. When the season was over, it was found that
the dogs were in the habit of going out by themselves, and killing hares
for their own amusement. To prevent this, a large iron ring was fastened
to the pointer's neck by a leather collar, and hung down so as to prevent
the dog from running, or jumping over dykes, &c. The animals, however,
continued to stroll out to the fields together; and one day the gentleman,
suspecting that all was not right, resolved to watch them, and to his
surprise, found that the moment when they thought that they were
unobserved, the greyhound took up the iron ring in his mouth, and carrying
it, they set off to the hills, and b