r her bristling head an inch or
so; and let drop the bunch of bulbs from between her razor-teeth. The
Mistress advanced another step; and struck at the beast.

The sow veered, to avoid the blow; then, with ludicrous yet deadly
swiftness, wheeled back and charged straight for the woman.

Many a child and not a few grown men and women have gone down under
such murderous charges; to be trampled and gouged and torn to death,
before help could come. But the slaveringly foul jaws did not so much
as touch the hem of the Mistress's dress.

Between her and the sow flashed a swirl of mahogany-and-snow. Lad,
charging at full speed, crashed into the forward-lurching
six-hundredweight of solid flesh and inch-thick hide.

The impact bowled him clean over, knocking the breath out of him. Not
from choice had he made such a blundering and un-collielike attack. In
other days, he could have flashed in and out again, with the speed of
light; leaving his antagonist with a slashed face or even a broken leg,
as souvenir of his assault. But those days were past. His uncannily
wise brain and his dauntless courage were all that remained of his
ancient prowess. And this brain and pluck told him his one chance of
checking the sow's charge on the Mistress was to hurl himself full at
her.

His impetus, which had knock him flat, scarce slowed down the pig's
lurching rush; scarce enabled the frightened Mistress to recoil a step.
Then, the sow was lunging at her again, over the prostrate dog's body.

But, even as he fell, Lad had gathered his feet under him. And the
shock which knocked him breathless did not make the wise brain waver in
its plan of campaign. Before he sought to rise, up drove his bared
teeth, at the sow that was plunging across him. And those teeth clove
deep into her pinkish nostrils;--well-nigh the only vulnerable spot,
(as Lad knew) in her bristling pigskin armor.

Lad got his grip. And, with all his fragile old strength, he hung on;
grinding the outworn fangs further and further into the sensitive nose
of his squealing foe.

This stopped the sow's impetuous charge; for good and all. With a heavy
collie hanging to one's tortured nose and that collie's teeth sunk deep
into it, there is no scope for thinking of any other opponent. She
halted, striking furiously, with her sharp cloven fore-hoofs, at the
writhing dog beneath her.

One ferociously driving hoof cut a gash in Lad's chest. Another tore
the skin from his shoulder.