read, while their masters stood in
opposite corners of the ring and yelled at them in order to increase
their ferocity. They let three bull-dogs go and the brutes rushed at the
bear, which began to dodge around the post. The dogs followed, crowding
and barking; sometimes the bear would upset them and trample them with
its huge paws, but they would immediately scramble to their feet and
make a dash for its head, clinging to its neck so that it was unable to
shake off their wriggling bodies. With watchful eye, the two masters
waited the moment when it looked as if the bear would be strangled; then
they rushed at the dogs, tore them away, pulled their necks and bit
their tails to make them unlock their jaws. The brutes whined with pain,
but they would not let go. The bear struggled to free itself from the
dogs, the dogs bit the bear, and the men bit the dogs. One young bull-dog
especially, was remarkable for its ferocity; it clung to the bear's back
and would not let go, though they chewed and bent its tail, and lacerated
its ears. The men were compelled to get a mattock to loosen its jaws.
When they had all been disentangled, everyone took a rest; the bear lay
down on the ground, the gasping dogs hung their tongues out, and the
perspiring men pulled the hairs from between their teeth, while the dust
that had arisen during the fight scattered in the atmosphere and settled
on the heads of the spectators.

Two more bears were led into the ring, and one acted the gardener of the
fable, went on a hunting trip, waltzed, took off its hat, and played
dead. After this performance came the donkey. But it defended itself
well; its kicks sent the dogs flying through the air like balloons; with
its tail between its legs and its ears back, it ran around the ring
trying to get its foes under its forelegs while they endeavoured to run
around it and fasten their teeth in its throat. When the men finally
rescued it, it was completely winded and shaking with fright; it was
covered with drops of blood which trickled down its legs (on which
repeated wounds had left scars), and, mingling with sweat, moistened its
worn hoofs.

But the best of the performance was the general fight between the dogs;
all took part in it, the big and the little ones, the bull-dogs, the
sheep-dogs, the white ones, the black ones, the spotted ones, and the
russet variety. Fully fifteen minutes were spent in bringing them to the
proper pitch of excitement. The owners