Some Royal Dogs

Nearly every oue oi the sovereigns of Europe, it appears, bas one or more pet dogs. Ibe collies of Qneen Victoria, the fox terriërs of Princesa Beatrice, with Jock as prime favorite, are known at least by hearsay to everybody. The emperor of Russia is also a great lover of dogs. A London paper report8 that he is always accoinpanied in bis walks by a couple of fine Danish hounds, whose strength and vigilance their master cousiders his best safegnard. The grave czar is of ten seen playing with these monster pets. He himself has taught thein their tricks, and they are nearly always about him. The kiug of Greece shares the czar's taste for the Dauish hounds, which are as intelligent as they are strong, and which, with hardly a bark to announce their intentions, will fly at the throat of auy oue whom tbeir master may point ont to thern in case of need. When the empress of Austria goes on her long walks or rides, several pet dogs ahvays accompany her. But perhaps the most widely known of all the "royal dogs" of the present day is Black, the pet dog of the Russian Grand Duke Alexis. Black is a sportsman 's dog, of no very aristocratie breed. Indeed, if the truth must be told, he is a member of the race of mongrels which the fishermen in the south of France take out to sea, employiug them to recapture any wily fish that may fall through the meshes of their nets or slip suddenly back iuto its element after it has been once landed on board the barge. Black is still rejoicing in the days' of his youth, but his record, not only as a commou fisherman but as a "fisher of men, " is already great, for he hassaved no fewer than six persons from a watery grave. Some tbree or four years ago the Grand Duke Alexis was staving at Biarritz. One stormy night he went out on the cliff to get a view of the angry sea. A boat was just being wrecked below, aud he saw a dog dashing with angry growls and barks into the water and bringing to land, one by one, three drowning men, while thecrowd cheered the brave mongrel to the eoho. The grand duke approached to caress the dog, and the animal's master then offered Black to him, refusing to accept any payment.