ing myself head foremost upon the dog before he could gain his feet, indeed we almost went down together, with both hands I seized him by the throat, and disengaging myself from the coat, held him firmly in my grasp.

Man is immensely powerful in his arms, when in such a position; and notwithstanding the strength of this enormous brute, I held him securely beneath me. His legs and claws tore my clothes to strips, yet still I held him fast, whilst his eyes almost started from their sockets with my deadly gripe, and with mouth wide open he turned from side to side in his endeavours to tear my hands and arms, as he choked, screamed, and almost roared with rage, agony, and madness. Indeed, I began to doubt my capability of holding him much longer, for I found myself growing exhausted with the violence and duration of this deathgrapple. Madmen, it is said, are possessed of double the power of other persons, whilst the fit is upon them; and thus it appeared with

this dog.

I turned my head, and beheld Lady de Clifford close beside me: horror was depicted in her countenance.

Lady de Clifford," I cried, " be quick, search the pocket of my coat for a knife. We must end this struggle instantly, or we are lost."

Whilst she searched for the knife, I looked to the front in order to see our chance of succour the pursuers were still some distance from us. I cared not for myself, could I but save my companion. Constance was fortunate in finding the knife, with which she again flew to my side. I bade her, soon as I ventured to grasp it, to fly and gain the shelter of the ruin, before I made my last effort, and used this dagger of mercy upon my deadly foe.

"Never!" she exclaimed; "I will not leave

you."

There was no time to urge it; but gradually getting a tighter grasp on the brute's windpipe with my left hand, I suddenly quitted him with my right, seized the knife, and cutting deep into his throat, severed the carotid artery. Dropping then the knife, I again had him fast as before. The hot blood spouted over me as I held him for a few moments longer, and then his strength was gone for ever. I threw him from

me, and setting my foot upon his neck, once more reached the knife, and plunged it into his heart. All was then over, and the animal looking horribly in death, but no longer dangerous, lay quivering before us.

Constance leading the way down the slope upon which the castle was built, towards a beautiful stream which wound round the hillock, herself assisted in washing the blood from my hands and arms. I had received neither bite or wound, and she returned thanks to Heaven for our escape. How willingly could I have died to save one, who for the first time, appeared interested in my safety. Drawing a diamond ring from her finger, with tears in eyes, she presented it to me.

her

"Wear this," she said, "in remembrance of one whom you have saved from a fate too dreadful to contemplate."

That ring I have never parted with in prosperity I have held it sacred, and it has been a talisman which, when disgusted with life, and surrounded by the vicious and profligate, I have loved to look on, and become reconciled to a world containing the being who once owned it. In rags, misery, and sickness,

when a half naked wretch, I was dragged out amidst the dead from the convent cell, where neglected we had been left to die of typhus fever in Spain, that ring was still with me. Constance, now that the danger was passed, looked faint and ill. She was not, however, one of those who think it necessary to make a display of sensibility; on the contrary, I saw she made an effort and controlled the faintness she felt approaching; she, however, was obliged to support herself by leaning on my arm. As I found her getting really unable to walk, I seated her on the bank and sprinkled water in her face; who can blame me if I ventured to kiss the hand she proffered me? Perhaps she was angry at the liberty, or perchance the water from the brook recovered her, for the colour mounted to her cheek and she arose.

I assisted her up the hillock to look for our horses, as she said she felt sufficiently recovered to proceed home. By the time we had again reached the scene of our exploit, the villagers had arrived, and were crowding round the prostrate dog. Several came towards us when we appeared, and amongst them our

groom. All had been dreadfully alarmed, supposing that we had been torn almost to pieces; and my escape (for they had seen from the distance the encounter) they considered scarcely less than miraculous.

"Look here," exclaimed a great burley fellow, the smith of the village, thrusting out a bar of iron," see the power of yon dog; when he fastened on t' oss, and I rammed the iron into his jaws, red hot as it was, he held it fast as if it had been a paunch, instead of a red hot coulter."

This was a fact, for the dog having run raving mad into the smith's forge, and fastened on the horse I had ridden, held him in his gripe, and what with the plunging of the frightened animal to break loose, and the fear of the dog, all assembled had rushed from the forge, except the master smith, who snatching a red hot bar of iron from the fire, thrust it into the dog's mouth and forced him to quit his hold.

The groom now informing us of my horse being wounded, I ordered him to have it killed, and then to procure a hack, and follow us home. We accordingly walked forward, and