entitled to walk at will in the exact
middle of the road. Perhaps his lofty assurance in taking such a course
made motorists check speed to spare him.

This morning, he had fared but a half-mile when he saw a car drawn up
at the edge of the road, beside a shaded bit of turf. Several people
had just descended from it; and were making preparations for an early
picnic lunch. One of them had finished depositing a basket on the
ground, at the side of the car farthest from the strip of sward where
the others were spreading a sea-rug and setting an impromptu table.

The man put the basket down in the road. Then he dived back into the
nether regions of the machine for more provender. And he was engaged in
this groping when Lad came in view, around a bend.

The big collie saw the basket standing there, unprotected and, so far
as he knew, ownerless. Gravely he stepped forward, lifted the heavy
receptacle by the handle and turned about with it; still moving with
dignified slowness. The table-setters were busy; and the car was
between him and them.

By the time the other member of the party succeeded in finding the
things he was seeking under the rear seat, Lad had rounded the bend and
was out of sight. To this day, none of the motorists has the remotest
solution to the mystery of the vanished lunch.

Lad had not stolen the basket. He would have suffered himself to be cut
in three, before sinking to theft or to any other sneaking act. He had
found a basket standing alone in the highroad, several feet away from
the nearest humans. He had no way of guessing it belonged to them. So
far as he was concerned, this was as much a lost article as had been
the gorgeous parasol. He had been praised to the skies for bringing the
parasol and the thermos case to the Mistress. He had every reason to
expect the same meed of praise for this new gift.

Indeed, to Lad's way of thinking, he might well hope for even higher
praise. For the parasol had been an odorless and foolish thing of no
apparent usefulness; while this basket exhaled most heavenly scents of
fried chicken and other delectable foods. Heavy as was the burden, it
did not occur to Lad to set it down. Fragrant as were its contents, it
did not occur to him to nose the cover off and sample them. There was
no tinge of snooping in his make-up. No, the basket was a gift for the
Mistress. And as such he was bearing it home to her.

"See what Laddie brought me, this time!" cried the Mistr