pose was
to leave the village behind him and to gain the leafy refuge of the
foothills beyond.

Out from a door-yard, flashed a bumptious little fox terrier. Into the
roadway he bounded; intent on challenging the bigger animal.

He barked ferociously; then danced in front of the invalid; yapping and
snapping up at the hanging head. The big mongrel, in agony, snarled and
made a lunge at his irritatingly dancing tormentor. His teeth dug
grazingly into the terrier's withers; and, with an impatient toss, he
flung the little beast to one side. Then he continued his interrupted
flight; sick wrath beginning to encompass his reeling brain, at the
annoyance he had encountered.

The yell of the slightly hurt terrier brought people to their doors.
The sound disturbed a half-breed spaniel from his doze in the dust, and
sent him out to continue the harrying his injured terrier chum had
begun.

The spaniel flew at the black dog; nipping at the plodding forepaws.
The mongrel raged; as might some painfully sick human who is pestered
when he asks only to be let alone. His dull apathy gave place to sullen
anger. He bit growlingly at the spaniel, throwing himself to one side
in pursuit of the elusive foe. And he snapped with equal rage at an
Irish terrier that had come out to add to the turmoil.

By this time, a score of people were dancing up and down inside their
door-yard fences, squalling "Mad dog!" and flinging at the black brute
any missile they could lay hand to.

A broken flower-pot cut the invalid's nose. A stone rebounded from his
ribs. The raucous human yells completed the work the first dog had
started. From a mere sufferer, the black mongrel had changed into a
peril.

The Mistress had motored over to the Hampton post-office, that
afternoon, to mail some letters. Lad, as usual, had gone with her. She
had left him in the car, while she went into the post-office.

Lad lay there, in snug contentment, on the car's front seat; awaiting
the return of his deity and keeping a watchful eye on anyone who
chanced to loiter near the machine. Presently, he sat up. Leaning out,
from one side of the seat, he stared down the hot roadway, in a
direction whence a babel of highly exciting sounds began to issue.

Apparently, beyond that kick-up of dust, a furlong below, all sorts of
interesting things were happening. Lad's soft eyes took on a glint of
eager curiosity; and he sniffed the still air for further clues as to
the nature of