e chair, and in a minute was fast
asleep.

He was awakened by a series of pulls at his smock-frock; and starting
up he saw that it was quite dark, except for the glow of a few ashes
on the hearth-stone, and that the china dog, grown to the same size as
he had been the evening before, was trying to arouse him.

"Wake up, 'Zekiel!" he said in a low voice. "Dame Fossie is upstairs
with your Granny, and we must be off."

'Zekiel rubbed his eyes, and taking his cap down from a peg, and tying
a check comforter round his neck, he followed the china dog from the
kitchen, and closed and latched the door behind him.

Out in the moonlit street, the china dog kept as much as possible in
the shadow of the houses; 'Zekiel following, his hob-nailed boots
_click_, _clicking_ against the rough stones as he stumbled sleepily
along.

They soon left the village behind them, and plunged into a wood,
which, stretching for miles across hill and dale, was known to be a
favourite haunt of smugglers.

'Zekiel instantly became very wide awake indeed, and unpleasant cold
shivers ran down his back, as he thought he saw black and white forms
gliding amongst the trees, and yellow eyes glancing at him between
the bare branches.

"It isn't smugglers. It's the dogs galloping to the meeting place,"
said the china dog, who seemed able to read 'Zekiel's thoughts in a
very unnatural manner.

They soon left the rough pathway they had been following, and 'Zekiel,
clinging to the china dog's paw, found himself in the densest part of
the wood, which was only dimly lighted by a few scattered moonbeams.

"We are getting near the Dog-wood now," said the china dog as they
hurried on, and in another moment they came out on to the middle of a
clearing, round which a dense thicket of red-stemmed dog-wood bushes
grew in the greatest luxuriance.

In the centre was a large square stone, like a stand; on which sat the
Fozzy-gog, surrounded by about fifty china dogs of all shapes and
sizes, but each one with a gold padlock and chain round his neck,
without which none were admitted to the secret society of the
"Fozzy-gogs."

'Zekiel was drawn reluctantly into the magic circle, while every dog
wagged his tail as a sign of friendly greeting.

The Fozzy-gog nodded graciously, and immediately the dogs commenced a
wild dance, with many leaps and bounds; round the stone on which their
ruler was seated.

The moonlight shone brightly on their glancing white coats;