formidable opponents. I remember a little story which finely illustrates
this instinctive courage.

"A person having missed one of his goats when his flock was taken home
at night, being afraid the wanderer would get among the young trees in
his nursery, two boys, wrapped in their plaids, were ordered to watch
all night. The morning had but faintly dawned, when they set out in
search of her. They at length discovered her on a pointed rock at a
considerable distance, and hastening to the spot perceived her standing
watching her kid with the greatest anxiety, and defending it from a fox.
The enemy turned round and round to lay hold of his prey, but the goat
presented her horns in every direction. The youngest boy was despatched
for assistance to attack the fox, and the eldest, hallooing and throwing
up stones, sought to intimidate it as he climbed to rescue his charge.
The fox seemed well aware that the child could not execute his threats;
he looked at him one instant, and then renewed the assault, till, quite
impatient, he made a sudden effort to seize the kid. The whole three
suddenly disappeared, and were found at the bottom of the precipice.
The goat's horns were darted into the back of the fox; the kid lay
stretched beside her. It is supposed that the fox had fixed his teeth in
the kid, for its neck was lacerated; but that when the faithful mother
inflicted a death wound upon her mortal enemy he probably staggered, and
brought his victims with him over the rock.

"There is another story of the goat, which places its gratitude and
affection in such an interesting light, that I am sure it will delight
you:--

"After the final suppression of the Scottish Rebellion of 1715, by the
decisive Battle of Preston, a gentleman who had taken a very active