The Animal Story Book

to my collection, and accordingly I returned from Africa accompanied by a vulture, which I bought from a little boy who called himself a Beni-Mouffetard. I paid ten francs for the vulture, an

ssenger who had tried to make friends with him. At Philippeville a difficulty arose. It was three miles from Stora, the port where we were to embark, and the diligence did not go on so far. I and several other gentlemen thought that we would like to walk to Stora, the scenery being beautiful and the distance not very great; but what was I to do about Jugurtha? I could not ask a porter to carry the cage; Jugurtha would certainly have eaten him through the spars. I thought of a plan: it w

urtha's attack, which astonished but did not stop him; however, a second blow, given with all my force, made him stop short, and a third caused him to fly in the opposite direction, that is, towards Stora. Once launched upon this road, I had only to use my switch adroitly to make Jugurtha proceed at about the same pace as we did ourselves, to the great admiration of my fellow-travellers, and of all the people whom we met on the road. On our arrival at Stora Jug

dging of all my animals, for he was much more occupied about their comfort than he was about mine or even his own. They had all plenty of room, particularly the dogs, who were not confined by any sort of enclosure, and Pritchard, who was naturally generous, kept open house with a truly Scottish hospit

master?' asked

Pritchard w

master feed

es at breakfast and dinner, and anything

ger licke

t badly off

en, seeing the strange dog look pensive, h

e, for dogs do not wait to be pres

sure that Pritchard must have been commending my benevolence. The dog, after spending a pleasant evening, found that it was rather too late to return home, so slept comfortably on the

AT STORA WIT

nobody would know you did not belong to the house. You might live here just as well as those idle useless monkeys, who do nothing but a

e and followed me everywhere, and there was another guest to feed, that was all. Michel ask

ichel, 'there

ust see that they do not all dine togethe

y, they would eat an ox a day, all those dogs; and if you will allow me, sir,

e house by staying here. So give them a grand dinner to-morrow; tell them tha

not put them to the door,

's character and position. Since all these dogs have come to me, let them stay with me. I don't think th

uggested Michel, 'and then

nother come, and then t

el s

lar kennel,'

nted to rather over two pounds a month. A single dinner given to five or six of my own species would have cost me three times as much, and they would have gone away dissatisfied; for, even if they had liked my wine, they would certainly have found fault with my books. Out of this pack of hounds, one became Pritchard's particular friend and Michel's favourite. This was a dachshund with short crooked legs, a long body, and, as Michel said, the finest voice in the dep

sir?' Michel asked m

elle

e one just the same ever

REGULA

to promise. Besides, I should like, before consum

very night, if you don't

told you before that

as a baby-and, as I was saying, if yo

go far,

ndred yar

at o'c

t when you hear Po

ichel, I will

ng as usual, when Michel came into my study. It wa

'Portugo hasn't b

if you waited for that, you woul

uld I mis

hich is held between

y. We followed Pritchard, who took no notice of us, though he evidently knew we were there. He went up to the top of the quarry, examined and smelt about over the ground with great care, and when he had found a scent and assured himself that it was fresh, he lay down flat and waited. Almost at the same moment, Portugo's first bark was heard some two hundred yards off. Now the plan the two dogs had laid was clear to us. The rabbits came out of their holes in the q

finish it, and, opening it on the spot, gave the inside to the two dogs, who shared their portion contentedly, although they probably r

pursuits, and I spent about two months in Paris. The day before I returned to St.-Germains I wrot

s within hearing, 'that two important events hav

chel, let

stead of staying where he was as any other dog would have done, he b

ed, 'is the poor beast de

s not I there

id you do t

n sewed the skin neatly over it, and now you would never know it was

BECOMES

iced that he had only three feet. My meeting with Pritchard was, as may be supposed, full of deep emotion on both si

is that Jugurtha's name

is it

s Dio

d w

k, s

to the villa. To the left of the avenue the vulture was seen walking proud

said I. 'Of course, dire

he lives in a tub, he cannot be Jugu

did his surgical skill, just as the year before, I had