o relish
it so much himself! Why he takes no notice of them!"

It was quite true that Fritz, up to this time, had scarcely noticed the
brace of winged assailants; and their hostile demonstrations had only
drawn from him an occasional "yir." As they swooped nearer, however,
and the tips of their wings were "wopped" into his very eyes, the thing
was growing unbearable; and Fritz began to lose temper. His "yirs"
became more frequent; and once or twice he rose from his squatting
attitude, and made a snap at the feathers that were nearest.

For more than five minutes this curious play was kept up between the
boar-hound and the birds; and then the episode was brought to a somewhat
singular--and in Fritz's estimation, no doubt--a very unpleasant
termination.

From the first commencement of their attack, the two falcons had
followed a separate course of action. One appeared to make all its
approaches from the front; while the other confined its attacks
exclusively to Fritz's rear. In consequence of these tactics on the
part of his assailants, the dog was compelled to defend himself both
before and behind: and to do this, it became necessary for him to look
"two ways at once." Now, he would snarl and snap at the assailant in
front--anon, he must sieve himself round, and in like manner menace the
more cowardly "churk" that was attacking him in the rear. Of the two,
however, the latter was the more demonstrative and noisy; and at length,
not content with giving Fritz an occasional "wop" with its wing, it had
the daring audacity to strike its sharp talons into a part of his
posteriors approximate to the seat of honour.

This was something more than canine flesh and blood could bear; and
Fritz determined not to submit to it any longer. Dropping the "quid" he
had been chewing, he started up on all fours; wheeled suddenly towards
the kite that had clawed him; and bounded aloft into the air with the
design of clutching it.

But the wary bird had foreseen this action on the part of the quadruped;
and, ere the latter could lay a fang upon it, had soared off--far beyond
the highest leap that any four-footed creature might accomplish.

Fritz, with a disappointed growl, turned round again to betake himself
to his piece of meat; but still more disappointed was his look, when he
perceived that the latter was no longer within reach! Churk falcon
number one had clawed him over the croup, but churk falcon number two
had deprived