rats for immediate use. On the receipt of sixpence, one of these was
liberated; and a few yards start being (sportsmanlike) allowed, the
speculator's terrier was then let loose, joined gratuitously, after a
short interval, by a perfect pack in full cry, with a human chorus of
"Hoo rat! Too loo! loo dog!" The rat turned, twisted, doubled,
became confused,


[AN OXFORD FRESHMAN 91]

was overtaken, and, with one grip and a shake, was dead; while the
excited pack returned to watch and jump at the wire cages until
another doomed prisoner was tossed forth to them. Gentlemen on their
way for a walk were thus enabled to wile away a few minutes at the
noble sport, and indulge themselves and their dogs with a little
healthy excitement; while the boating costume of other gentlemen
shewed that they had for a while left aquatic pursuits, and had
strolled up from the river to indulge in "the sports of the fancy."

Although his new master invested several sixpences on ~Mop's~ behalf,
yet that ungrateful animal, being of a passive temperament of mind as
regarded rats, and a slow movement of body, in consequence of his
long hair impeding his progress, rather disgraced himself by allowing
the sport to be taken from his very teeth. But he still further
disgraced himself, when he had been taken back to Brazenface, by
howling all through the night in the cupboard where he had been
placed, thereby setting on Mr. Bouncer's two bull-terriers, Huz and
Buz, to echo the sounds with redoubled fury from their coal-hole
quarters; thus causing loss of sleep and a great outlay of Saxon
expletives to all the dwellers on the staircase. It was in vain that