over on his black pony. He was evidently not going to run any risks, for he was armed with a 10-feet tent-pegging lance, well calculated to keep the foe at a safe distance. I took over a shot-gun and two untried Irish terriers, but our great stand by was an Airedale terrier bitch named Bell, who fully upheld a great reputation, which she had earned by killing her mistress's pet cat in the wood pile. Three sharp spades, and three natives to wield them, completed the outfit. The first move was to run the Irish terriers through the gullies, which extended for some 200 yards, with various openings. These were drawn blank. When Pincher came to the side run where we expected the porcupines to be, we noticed that he ran past it very fast, and pretended not to see it, a negative, but powerful argument that the foe was within. Biddy, the Irish terrier bitch, did not even pretend to look for things she had not lost, but made herself comfortable amongst some cool, green fern, and looked the picture of indifference. These two hopeless cases were forthwith sent home, and we pinned our faith on Bell, the Airedale bitch. The sequel will show how thoroughly she deserved our confidence. On her introduction to the hole she soon changed doubt into certainty, for her short, vindictive bark and the grunts of her foe could be heard gradually retreating

into the recesses of the black depths in front of

us.

'As far as we could see the hole ran fairly straight for some eight yards, and on crawling in with a candle we discovered a sharp turn to the right. We set the boys on to dig as near as could be guessed just above this elbow. The ground was terribly hard from six months' drought, and the work proportionately arduous. An hour's hard digging resulted in a hole about 4ft. deep, and big enough to work in, and presently the ground broke in, much to our satisfaction, right over the elbow.

"Bell could still be heard barking, but seemed to be a long way in. Prodding with a long stick the hole turned again to the left, so we determined to follow it right through, taking off all the superincumbent earth, as a surer method than digging down further on, on the chance of striking it again. This proved to be no light task, and had to be done in relief. The hole ran level, but the ground surface was rising, and we soon had 5ft. thickness of earth to remove. For several yards we continued thus, and after four and a half hours' digging the sounds of conflict seemed close at hand. Lighting a candle, I stuck it in the soft clay inside the hole, and, lying down in the trench, put my head in. I just discovered

Bell's stumpy and agitated tail round another sharp bend to the left, when there was a rush and a snarl, and Bell backed right into my face and upset the candle. The candle went out, and so did I. We then started another and final trench on the new survey, B. feeling the direction of the hole with a piece of fence wire. This occasionally got mixed up with the porcupine, and caused more rushing, snarling (not swearing), and precipitate

retreat.

"More digging ensued, during which there was an ominous silence underground. This continued so long that I relit the candle, and prospected again. Bell's tail was visible, and I caught hold of it and lugged her out. She was one mass of mud and blood, and a big quill was sticking out of her face, luckily between her eyes. A further inspection revealed the astounding fact that she had actually slain her foe in his lair, notwithstanding that his head was up in the end of the hole, and his back, with its formidable array of quills, presented to her face. She had stuck to her game for nearly five hours, with no other dog to encourage and assist her-truly a remarkable example of pluck and endurance. We had to dig the porcupine right out, as the quills, bearing on the sides of the hole, resisted the strongest efforts to draw out the body. It was quite

dead, and proved to be a female as big as the one shot by E. T., and the absence of a fore foot proclaimed its identity."

Airedale terriers have quite recently increased very much in value chiefly on account of the demand there has been for them in America. Still, through the advertisements in the fanciers' papers, a good working dog or two can always be had at from £1 upwards. When we come to the best of the show dogs their pecuniary value increases proportionately. Rock Princess, one of our best bitches of her year, was sold for a large sum to Mr. Foxhall Keene, of New York, but she unfortunately died on ship board before reaching her destination. In February, 1899, Mr. E. Mills, of Burnham Beeches, sold to Mr. Oldham, also of New York, Clonmel Marvel, Veracity, and Sensation for £650, and another high price was paid by Mr. Stuart Noble, of Cheltenham, for Master Briar, viz., £170. At the time I write, equally good or better dogs than these are to the fore. Other Airedale terriers which have gone to America for high prices are Mr. Foxhall Keene's Clonmel Bedrock and Sensation and Mr. H. Jarrett's Dumbarton Duchess, all winners at New York show in October, 1902.

Amongst the leading breeders and exhibitors are

or have been the following: Mr. Bairstow, the late Mr. E. N. Deakin (who gave all his kennel to Mr. H. M. Bryans), Mr. J. H. Carr, Mr. W. Tatham, Mr. A. Walker, Mr. Ward Higgs, Mr. C. J. Whittaker, Mr. H. M. Bryans, Mr. J. B. Holland, Mr. E. R. Bouch, Mr. R. Mitchell (Bradford), Mr. Ernest Sachse (Shipley), Mr. W. H. Johnstone (London), Mr. H. Walker (Chester), Mr. J. Wilson (Manningham), Mr. Maud Barrett (Otley), Mr. G. H. Elder (Taunton), Messrs. Mills and Buckley (Burnham), Mr. J. R. Cooper (Burnley), Mr. Marshall Lee (Somerset), Mr. T. W. Innes (Edinboro'), M. T. Kershaw (Bradford), Mr. E. Hoskins (Kettering), Mr. A. Clarkson (Highgate, N.), Mr. A. Rowlands (Staines), and Mr. Foxhall Keene (New York).

At the Kennel Club's show in 1901 the classes for Airedale terriers had never previously been equalled at a south country show, and the group at the same exhibition in 1902 were equally well filled. At Otley and Bingley the entry has been exceeded numerically, and most of the promising young dogs make a first appearance at such local shows, later on attaining their championships at the more important gatherings in London, Birmingham, and elsewhere. In addition to the dogs already named the following have been or are leading animals on the show