could out bark and out brag all creation when he was inside the yard. If
another dog was goin' along he'd run up and down the palins and bark and
take on like he'd give the world if that fence wasent there. So one day
when he was showin' off in that way I caught him by the nap of the neck
as he run by me, and jest histed him right over and drapped him. He
struck the ground like an injun rubber ball, and was back agin on my
side in a jiffy. If he had ever jumped that fence before I dident know
it. The other dog run a quarter of a mile without stoppin'. Now, that's
the way with sum foaks. If you want to hear war tawk jest put a fence
between 'em; and if you want it stopped, jest take the fence away. Dogs
is mighty like peepul anyhow. They've got karacter. Sum of em are good,
honest, trusty dogs that bark mity little and bite at the right time.
Sum are good pluk, and will fite like the dickens when their masters is
close by to back em, but ain't worth a cent by themselves. Sum make it a
bizness to make other dogs fite. You've seen these little fices a
runnin' around growlin' and snappin' when two big dogs cum together.
They are jest as keen to get up a row and see a big dog fite as a store
clerk or a shoemaker, and seem to enjoy it as much. And then, there's
them mean yaller-eyed bull terriers that don't care who they bite, so
they bite sumbody. They are no respekter of persons, and I never had
much respekt for a man who kept one on his premises. But of all mean,
triflin', contemptible dogs in the world, the meanest of all is a
country nigger's houn--one that will kill sheep, and suck eggs, and lick
the skillet, and steal everything he can find, and try to do as nigh
like his master as possibul. Sum dogs are filosofers, and study other
dogs' natur, just like foaks study foaks. It's amazin' to see a town dog
trot up to a country dog and interview him. How quick he finds out
whether it will do to attack him or not. If the country dog shows fite
jest notis the consequential dignity with which the town dog retires. He
goes off like there was a sudden emergency of bisness a callin' him