Sperver had returned to his seat, and was passing his hand over
Lieverle's massive head with pride, and enumerating to me his excellent
qualities.

Lieverle seemed to understand him.

"See, Fritz, that dog will throttle a wolf with one snap of his jaws. For
courage and strength, he is perfection. He is not five years old, but he
is in his prime. I need not tell you that he is trained to hunt the boar.
Every time we come across a herd of them I tremble for Lieverle; his
attack is too straightforward, he flies on the game as straight as an
arrow. That is why I am afraid of the brutes' tusks. Lie down, Lieverle,
lie on your back!"

The dog obeyed, and presented to view his flesh-coloured sides.

"Look, Fritz, at that long white seam without any hair upon it from under
the thigh right up to the chest. A boar did that. Poor creature! he was
holding him fast by the ear and would not let go; we tracked the two by
the blood. I was the first up with them. Seeing my Lieverle I gave a
shout, I jumped off my horse, I caught him between my arms, flung him
into my cloak, and brought him home. I was almost beside myself. Happily
the vital parts had not been wounded. I sewed up his belly in spite of
his howling and yelling, for he suffered fearfully; but in three days he
was already licking his wound, and a dog who licks himself is already
saved. You remember that, Lieverle, hey! and aren't we fonder of each
other now than ever?"

I was quite moved with the affection of the man for that dog, and of the
dog for his master; they seemed to look into the very depths of each
other's souls. The dog wagged his tail, and the man had tears in his
eyes.

Sperver went on--

"What amazing strength! Do you see, Fritz, he has burst his cord to get
to me--a rope of six strands; he found out my track and here he is! Here,
Lieverle, catch!"

And he threw to him the remains of the leg of kid. The jaws opened wide
and closed again with a terrible crash, and Sperver, looking at me
significantly, said--

"Fritz, if he were to grip you by your breeches you would not get away so
easily!"

"Nor any one else, I suppose."

The dog went to stretch himself at his ease full length under the
mantelshelf with the leg fast between his mighty paws. He began to tear
it into pieces. Sperver looked at him out of the corner of his eye with
great satisfaction. The bone was fast falling into small fragments in the
powerful mill that was crashing it. Lieverle