ed. A dog came running down from the house; and he took
several pieces of meat which the cat's-meat-man pushed through the bars
of the gate, and some paper bags full of corn and bran, I noticed that
this dog did not stop to eat the meat, as any ordinary dog would have
done, but he took all the things back to the house and disappeared. He
had a curious wide collar round his neck which looked as though it were
made of brass or something. Then we came away.

"The Doctor isn't back yet," said Matthew, "or the gate wouldn't be
locked."

"What were all those things in paper-bags you gave the dog?" I asked.

"Oh, those were provisions," said Matthew--"things for the animals to
eat. The Doctor's house is simply full of pets. I give the things to
the dog, while the Doctor's away, and the dog gives them to the other
animals."

"And what was that curious collar he was wearing round his neck?"

"That's a solid gold dog-collar," said Matthew. "It was given to him
when he was with the Doctor on one of his voyages long ago. He saved a
man's life."

"How long has the Doctor had him?" I asked.

"Oh, a long time. Jip's getting pretty old now. That's why the Doctor
doesn't take him on his voyages any more. He leaves him behind to take
care of the house. Every Monday and Thursday I bring the food to the
gate here and give it him through the bars. He never lets any one come
inside the garden while the Doctor's away--not even me, though he knows
me well. But you'll always be able to tell if the Doctor's back or
not--because if he is, the gate will surely be open."

So I went off home to my father's house and put my squirrel to bed in
an old wooden box full of straw. And there I nursed him myself and took
care of him as best I could till the time should come when the Doctor
would return. And every day I went to the little house with the big
garden on the edge of the town and tried the gate to see if it were
locked. Sometimes the dog, Jip, would come down to the gate to meet me.
But though he always wagged his tail and seemed glad to see me, he never
let me come inside the garden.

THE THIRD CHAPTER. THE DOCTOR'S HOME

ONE Monday afternoon towards the end of April my father asked me to take
some shoes which he had mended to a house on the other side of the town.
They were for a Colonel Bellowes who was very particular.

I found the house and rang the bell at the front door. The Colonel
opened it, stuck out a very red face an