forward, wagging his tail, and placed himself at my feet in the position
most convenient to me for inflicting chastisement.

I wonder how many of our human friends would be willing to pay such a
price for the pleasure of our company.

As time went on Excalibur filled out into one of the most terrifying
spectacles I have ever beheld. In one respect, though, he lived up to
his knightly name. His manners were of the most courtly description and
he had an affectionate greeting for all, beggars included. He was
particularly fond of children. If he saw children in the distance he
would canter up and offer to play with them. If the children had not met
him before they would run shrieking to their nurses. If they had they
would fall on Excalibur in a body and roll him over and pull him about.

On wet afternoons, in the nursery, my own family used to play at dentist
with him, assigning to Excalibur the role of patient. Gas was
administered with a bicycle pump, and a shoehorn and buttonhook were
employed in place of the ordinary instruments of torture; but Excalibur
did not mind. He lay on his back on the hearth rug, with the principal
dentist sitting astride his ribs, as happy as a king.

He was particularly attracted by babies; and being able by reason of his
stature to look right down into perambulators, he was accustomed
whenever he met one of those vehicles to amble alongside and peer
inquiringly into the face of its occupant. Most of the babies in the
district got to know him in time, but until they did we had a good deal
of correspondence to attend to on the subject.

Excalibur's intellect may have been lofty, but his memory was
treacherous. Our household will never forget the day on which he was
given the shoulder of mutton.

One morning after breakfast Eileen, accompanied by Excalibur,
intercepted the kitchen maid hastening in the direction of the potting
shed, carrying the joint in question at arm's length. The damsel
explained that its premature maturity was due to the recent warm weather
and that she was even now in search of the gardener's boy, who would be
commissioned to perform the duties of sexton.

"It seems a waste, miss," observed the kitchen maid; "but cook says it
can't be ate nohow now."

Loud but respectful snuffings from Excalibur moved a direct negative to
this statement. Eileen and the kitchen maid, who were both criminally
weak where Excalibur was concerned, saw a way to gratify their
economi