this and divers
other reasons, the first lesson taught to arriving wardogs was to
abstain from barking.

The dogs were divided, roughly, by breeds, as regarded the line of
training assigned to them. The collies were taught courier-work. The
Airedales, too,--hideous, cruel, snake-headed,--were used as couriers,
as well as to bear Red Cross supplies and to hunt for the wounded. The
gaunt and wolflike police dogs were pressed into the two latter tasks,
and were taught listening-post duty. And so on through all available
breeds,--including the stolidly wise Old English sheepdogs who were to
prove invaluable in finding and succoring and reporting the
wounded,--down to the humble terriers and mongrels who were taught to
rid trenches of vermin.

Everywhere was quiet efficiency and tirelessly patient and skillful
work on the part of the trainers. For Britain's best dog men had been
recruited for service here. On the perfection of their charges'
training might depend the fate of many thousand gallant soldiers.
Wherefore, the training was perfect.

Hundreds of dogs proved stupid or unreliable or gun-shy or too easily
confused in moments of stress. These were weeded out, continually, and
shipped back to the masters who had proffered them.

Others developed with amazing speed and cleverness, grasping their
profession as could few human soldiers. And Bruce, lonely and
heartsore, yet throwing himself into his labors with all the zest of
the best thoroughbred type,--was one of this group.

His early teachings now stood him in good stead. What once had been a
jolly game, for his own amusement and that of the Mistress and the
Master, was now his life-work. Steadily his trainer wrought over him,
bringing out latent abilities that would have dumfounded his earliest
teachers, steadying and directing the gayly dashing intelligence;
upbuilding and rounding out all his native gifts.

A dog of Bruce's rare type made up to the trainers for the dullness of
their average pupils. He learned with bewildering ease. He never forgot
a lesson once taught.

No, the Mistress need not have interceded to save him from beating. As
soon would an impresario think of thrashing Caruso or Paderewski as
would Bruce's glum Scottish trainer have laid whip to this best pupil
of his. Life was bare and strict for Bruce. But life was never unkind
to him, in these first months of exile from The Place. And, bit by bit,
he began to take a joy in his work.

Not