brush-fire at some distance behind the stables. Two of the men were
raking pruned vine-suckers and leaves onto the blaze. The wind set away
from the house and stables. There was nothing to worry over. Ashamed of
his own fussiness, the Master went back to his work.

As he passed the open study window, on his way indoors, a motion inside
made him stop. He was just in time to see Lady trot into the room,
crouch playfully, and then spring full at the stuffed eagle.

His shout deflected the young dog's leap, and kept her merrily
outstretched jaws from closing on the bird. As it was, the impact
knocked the eagle and the papier-mache stump to the floor; with much
clatter and dust.

The Master vaulted in through the window; arriving on the study floor
almost as soon as did the overthrown bird. Lady was slinking out into
the hall; crestfallen and scared. The Master collared her and brought
her back to the scene of her mischief.

The collie had disobeyed him. Flagrantly she had sinned in assailing
the bird; after his injunction of "Let it alone!" There could be no
doubt, from her wriggling aspect of guilt, that she knew she was doing
wrong. Worse, she had taken sneaky advantage of his absence in order to
spring at the eagle. And disgust warred with the Master's normal
indignation.

Speaking as quietly as he could bring himself to speak, he told Lady
what she had done and what a rotten thing it had been. As he talked to
the utterly crestfallen pup, he was ransacking a drawer of his desk in
search of a dogwhip he had put there long ago and had never had
occasion to use.

Presently, he found it. Pointing to the overthrown trophy, he brought
the lash down across the shrinking collie's loins. He did not strike
hard. But he struck half a dozen times; and with glum knowledge that it
was the only course to take.

Never before in her eight foolish months of life, had Lady known the
meaning of a blow. While the whip-slashes were too light to do more
than sting her well-mattressed back, yet the humiliation of them seared
deep into her sensitive nature. No sound did she utter. But she cowered
flat to the floor; and trembled as if in a hard chill.

The whipping was over, in a few seconds. Again the Master explained to
her what it had been inflicted for. Then, calling her to follow, he led
the way out of doors and toward the stables. Stomach to earth, the
shamed and miserable Lady writhed along, close at his heels.

The Master pass