Page 100 - Jack's victory and other stories about dogs

how many arches there wave in (old) Westminster

Bridge? The spaniel replied by drawing his paw

over the number fifteen. He was then asked

how many arches there were in Pontus Euxinus?
Here the dog paused, as if he conceived himself

insulted by such a question, and as if desirous of

applying the proverb, "a foolish, question deserves

no answer/' Being commanded, however, by his
master, to satisfy the person who had asked

the question, lie replied that the Pontus Euxinus

had no arches, and he expressed this very clearly

by placing his foot on a cipher. The sailor then

said that in the p re ceding year he had made a
very pleasant voyage in six weeks from the

Pontus Euxinus to London Bridge. The spaniel,

finding nothing very wonderful in such a voyage,

placed his foot on different letters, forming a

very laconic answer, winch signified, when ex­
plained by his master, that some navigators had

made a voyage of GOO leagues in half a day.

“ That is impossible/’ said the sailor; “ no air-
*
balloon has ever yet been able to traverse such a
space in so short a time,"