ir seconds and put
on the ground. Like a flash of lightning they dashed at each other, and
the fight began.

Nearly everyone has seen dogs fight--"it is their nature to", as Dr.
Watts put it. But an ordinary worry between (say) a retriever and a
collie, terminating as soon as one or other gets his ear bitten, gives
a very faint idea of a real dog-fight. But bull-terriers are the
gladiators of the canine race. Bred and trained to fight, carefully
exercised and dieted for weeks beforehand, they come to the fray
exulting in their strength and determined to win. Each is trained to
fight for certain holds, a grip of the ear or the back of the neck being
of very slight importance. The foot is a favourite hold, the throat is,
of course, fashionable--if they can get it.

The white and the brindle sparred and wrestled and gripped and threw
each other, fighting grimly, and disdaining to utter a sound. Their
seconds dodged round them unceasingly, giving them encouragement and
advice--"That's the style, Boxer--fight for his foot"--"Draw your foot
back, old man," and so on. Now and again one dog got a grip of the
other's foot and chewed savagely, and the spectators danced with
excitement. The moment the dogs let each other go they were snatched up
by their seconds and carried to their corners, and a minute's time was
allowed, in which their mouths were washed out and a cloth rubbed over
their bodies.

Then came the ceremony of "coming to scratch". When time was called for
the second round the brindled dog was let loose in his own corner, and
was required by the rules to go across the ring of his own free will and
attack the other dog. If he failed to do this he would lose the fight.
The white dog, meanwhile, was held in his corner waiting the attack.
After the next round it was the white dog's turn to make the attack, and
so on alternately. The animals need not fight a moment longer than they
chose, as either dog could abandon the fight by failing to attack his
enemy.

While their condition lasted they used to dash across the ring at
full run; but, after a while, when the punishment got severe and their
"fitness" began to fail, it became a very exciting question whether or
not a dog would "come to scratch". The brindled dog's condition was not
so good as the other's. He used to lie on his stomach between the rounds
to rest himself, and several times it looked as if he would not cross
the ring when his turn came. But as soon as