d-gate. I sniffed the air; there was no mistake; I smelt the
very man whom I expected. Others might be with him, but there was _he_.
Without a moment's delay, I set up an alarum that might have wakened the
whole village; at any rate, it woke our whole house. Down stairs came my
master in his dressing-gown; down came old John, lantern in hand, and
red nightcap on head. Lily peeped out of her bedroom window, with a
shawl over her shoulders; and seeing her papa in the court, ran down to
help him,--as if she could have been any help against robbers, poor
little darling! The servants assembled in such strange attire, that they
looked to me like a herd of animals who had got into each other's coats
by mistake. But the maids had kept their own voices at any rate, for
they screamed almost as loud as I barked. It was a proud moment for me;
and the greater everybody's fright, and the more noise and confusion
they made, the prouder I was. It was all _my_ doing. It was _I_ who had
called them all in the middle of the night. Their confidence in me was
such, that at the sound of my voice they had all left their beds, and
assembled in the courtyard in their night-gowns. How clever and careful
they must think me! And how clever and careful I thought myself! I
danced round Lily, and bounded about in all directions, till I knocked
down the sleepy stable-boy, and got into every body's way. I never was
in such glee in my life. But my master and John were quiet enough, and
they examined the gate, and the footsteps outside, and decided that
there certainly had been an attempt to break into the house, but that
the robbers had been frightened away by me.

"It has been a narrow escape for them, sir," said John; "for if they had
succeeded in getting in, the dog would have pinned them."

"Captain has done his duty well," said my master, "and no one can call
him useless any more."

"It is a good thing no one was hurt," added Lily; "but I am glad they
were frightened. Perhaps the fright will cure them."

After this adventure I was treated with great respect. By night I
watched the house, and by day I was Lily's constant companion. We were
allowed to take long rambles together, as her father knew she was safe
under my care. I learnt to carry her basket or parasol for her, and to
sit faithfully guarding them while she scrambled up banks or through
bushes, looking for flowers. I was also an excellent swimmer, and could
fetch sticks which she had th