all his
time playing childish games. There were grown-up things that he liked
to do--things in which a toddler like Johnnie Green couldn't take part.
Around the farmhouse there were always the cat to be teased and
squirrels to be chased into trees. In the pasture there were woodchucks
to be hunted; and even if he couldn't catch them it was fun to see those
fat fellows tumble into their holes.

Then there were the cows. Spot loved to help Farmer Green drive them
home late in the afternoon. He acted very important when he went for the
cows, always pretending that it was hard work, though he really thought
it great sport.

Sometimes when Johnnie Green wanted to play with Spot the old dog
couldn't be found anywhere. He might be over the hill, visiting a
neighbor's dog. He might be in the woods, looking for birds. He might
even have followed a wagon to the village.

As Johnnie Green grew older he roamed through the woods with Spot. And
when Johnnie's father at last let him own a gun, old Spot was as pleased
as Johnnie was.

"I've been waiting for this event for several years," Spot told the
Muley Cow.

She did not share his delight.

"For pity's sake, keep that boy and his gun out of the pasture!" she
bellowed. "It frightens me to have him come near me with his
blunderbuss."

Old Spot gave her a pitying look.

"It's plain," he said, "that you don't come from a sporting family, as I
do, or you'd never speak in that fashion of a nice new shotgun. You know
I'm a sporting dog. I'm a pointer. I point out the game for the
hunters."

The Muley Cow gave a sort of snort and tossed her head.

"It's lucky for Johnnie Green," she sniffed, "that I'm not a sporting
cow, or he might not have any butter on his bread."

II

TEASING THE CAT

When Miss Kitty Cat came to the farmhouse to live she soon showed old
dog Spot that she could fight like a vixen. The first time he cornered
her she put some scratches on his nose that he never forgot. And after
that he always took great pains to keep out of reach of Miss Kitty's
claws.

So long as Miss Kitty Cat ran away from him Spot would follow her,
yelping madly. But when she stopped, he stopped too, digging his own
claws into the dirt in order to leave a safe distance between Miss Kitty
and his nose.

He quickly discovered that there were ways in which he could tease Miss
Kitty Cat that annoyed her greatly, while keeping his nose out of harm's
way. Growling always mad