llow me to accept
two. One is a beautiful water-spaniel, jet black, Brisk by name, but his
character is stainless in the matter of sheep, and though very handsome
he is only an amiable idiot, his one amusement being to chase a
weka, which he never catches. The other dog was, alas! Dick, a small
black-and-tan terrier, very well bred, and full of tricks and play. We
never even suspected him of any wickedness, but as it turned out he must
have been a hardened offender. A few weeks after he came to us, when the
lambing season was at its height, and the low sunny hills near the
house were covered with hundreds of the pretty little white creatures,
F----used sometimes to come and ask me where Dick was, and, strange to
say, Dick constantly did not answer to my call. An evening or two later,
just as we were starting for our walk, Dick appeared in a great hurry
from the back of the stable. F---- went up immediately to him, and
stooped down to examine his mouth, calling me to see. Oh, horror! it
was all covered with blood and wool. I pleaded all sorts of extenuating
circumstances, but F---- said, with: judicial sternness, "This cannot be
allowed." Dick was more fascinating than usual, never looking at a sheep
whilst we were out walking with him, and behaving in the most exemplary
manner. F---- watched him all the next day, and at last caught him in
the act of killing a new-born lamb a little way from the house; the
culprit was brought to me hanging his tail with the most guilty air,
and F---- said, "I ought to shoot him, but if you like I will try if a
beating can cure him, but it must be a tremendous one." I was obliged
to accept this alternative, and retreated where I could not hear Dick's
howls under the lash, over the body of his victim. A few hours after I
went to the spot, lifted Dick up, and carried him into my room to nurse
him; for he could not move, he had been beaten so severely. For two
whole days he lay on the soft mat I gave him, only able to lap a little
warm milk; on the third morning he tried to get up, and crawled into the
verandah; I followed to watch him. Imagine my dismay at seeing him limp
to the place where the body of his last victim lay, and deliberately
begin tearing it to pieces. I followed him with my little horsewhip and
gave him a slight beating. I could not find it in my heart to hit him
very hard. I carefully concealed this incident from F----, and for some
days I never let Dick out of my sight for a