nsisted of two setters, a pointer, and a large
house dog, who was chained up at the entrance to the stables.
Reuben was soon excellent friends with the sporting dogs, but the
watchdog, who had probably been teased by Reuben's predecessor,
always growled and showed his teeth when he went near him; and
Reuben never dared venture within the length of his chain, but
pushed the bowl containing his food just within his reach.

One day, he had been sent on an errand to the stables. He forgot
the dog and ran close to the kennel. The animal at once sprang out.
Reuben made a rush, but he was not quick enough, and the dog caught
him by the leg. Reuben shouted, and the coachman ran out and,
seizing a fork, struck the dog and compelled him to loose his hold.

"Has he bit you badly, Reuben?"

"Well, he has bit precious hard," Reuben replied. "I think he has
nearly taken a piece out of my calf," as, on pulling up his
trousers, he showed his leg streaming with blood.

"Put it under the pump, lad. I will pump on it," the coachman said.
"He's a bad-tempered brute, and I wonder the squire keeps it."

"The brute ought to be killed," Reuben grumbled angrily. "I have
never teased it or worried it, in any way. I wish you had stuck
that fork into him, instead of hitting him with it. If you hadn't
been within reach, he would have taken the bit out of me. He will
kill somebody some day, and it were best to kill him, first."

The gardener pumped for some time on Reuben's leg; and then, going
into the kitchen, he got some strips of rag from the cook and bound
it up.

"You had best go home now," he said. "I will tell the gardener,
when he comes round, what has happened to you. I doubt you will
have to lay up, for a day or two."

As Reuben limped home, he met Tom Thorne walking with another boy.

"Hello, Reuben!" the latter exclaimed. "What's come to you? Yer
trousers bee all tore."

"That brute of a house dog at the squire's has had hold of me,"
Reuben answered. "The savage beast has had a try, a good many
times; but this time he got hold, and he has bit me pretty sharp."

Reuben had to keep his leg quiet for three days but, the third
evening, he was well enough to go down the village to the
schoolhouse. After the lesson was over he walked for some distance
up the road, for his leg was very stiff; and he thought it would be
a good thing to try and walk it off, as he intended to go to work
next morning. On getting up early in the morni