erken hastened into the street, and walked towards the heap of
cabbage-leaves, in which he observed the object of his wishes to have
fallen; but there was some one there before him, an old sow, very busy
groping among the refuse. Although Vanslyperken came on shore without
even a stick in his hand, he had no fear of a pig, and walked up boldly
to drive her away, fully convinced that, although she might like
cabbage, not being exactly carnivorous, he should find the tail in
_status quo_. But it appeared that the sow not only would not stand
being interfered with, but, moreover, was carnivorously inclined; for
she was at that very moment routing the tail about with her nose, and
received Vanslyperken's advance with a very irascible grunt, throwing
her head up at him with a savage augh; and then again busied herself
with the fragment of Snarleyyow. Vanslyperken, who had started back,
perceived that the sow was engaged with the very article in question;
and finding it was a service of more danger than he had expected, picked
up one or two large stones, and threw them at the animal to drive her
away. This mode of attack had the effect desired in one respect; the sow
made a retreat, but at the same time she would not retreat without the
_bonne bouche_, which she carried away in her mouth.

Vanslyperken followed; but the sow proved that she could fight as well
as run, every minute turning round to bay, and chumping and grumbling in
a very formidable manner. At last, after Vanslyperken had chased for a
quarter of a mile, he received unexpected assistance from a large dog,
who bounded from the side of the road, where he lay in the sun, and
seizing the sow by the ear, made her drop the tail to save her
own bacon.

Vanslyperken was delighted; he hastened up as fast as he could to regain
his treasure, when, to his mortification, the great dog, who had left
the sow, arrived at the spot before him, and after smelling at the not
one bone, but many bones of contention, he took it in his mouth, and
trotted off to his former berth in the sunshine, laid himself down, and
the tail before him.

"Surely one dog won't eat another dog's tail," thought Vanslyperken, as
he walked up to the animal; but an eye like fire, a deep growl, and
exposure of a range of teeth equal to a hyena's, convinced Mr
Vanslyperken that it would be wise to retreat--which he did, to a
respectable distance, and attempted to coax the dog. "Poor doggy,
there's a dog,"