1825. [He] seeing the barking iron shrunk back and pretended to have mistaken the room.—J. K. Paulding, ‘John Bull in America,’ pp. 37–8 (N.Y.).
1847. Put up your barking iron, and no more noise.—Le Fanu, ‘T. O’Brien,’ p. 63 (N.E.D.)
[Scott, in 1815, has barker for pistol: N.E.D.]
