iabolical success. A half-circle of whimpering puppies, keeping a
respectful distance, watched in grieved surprise, while, with hair on
end and tiny fangs occasionally exposed, he devoured the scraps of the
midday meal.

"A wonder for badness!" Jim Grimm repeated.

"'Give a dog a bad name,'" quoted Martha, quick, like the woman she
was, to resent snap-judgment of the young, "'an'----'"

"'Hang un,'" Jim concluded. "Well," he added, "I wouldn't be s'prised
if it _did_ come t' that."

It did.

* * * * *

In Tog's eyes there was never the light of love and humour--no amiable
jollity. He would come fawning, industriously wagging his hinder
parts, like puppies of more favoured degree; but all the while his
black eyes were alert, hard, infinitely suspicious and avaricious. Not
once, I am sure, did affection or gratitude lend them beauty. A
beautiful pup he was, nevertheless--fat and white, awkwardly big, his
body promising splendid strength. Even when he made war on the
fleas--and he waged it unceasingly--the vigour and skill of attack,
the originality of method, gave him a certain distinction. But his
eyes were never well disposed; the pup was neither trustful nor to be
trusted.

"If he lives t' the age o' three," said Jim Grimm, with a pessimistic
wag of the head, "'twill be more by luck than good conduct."

"Ah, dad," said Jimmie Grimm, "you jus' leave un t' me!"

"Well, Jimmie," drawled Jim Grimm, "it might teach you more about dogs
than you know. I don't mind if I _do_ leave un t' you--for a while."

"Hut!" Jimmie boasted. "_I'll_ master un."

"May _be_," said Jim Grimm.

It was Jimmie Grimm who first put Tog in the traces. This was in the
early days of Tog's first winter--and of Jimmie's seventh. The dog was
a lusty youngster then; better nourished than the other dogs of Jim
Grimm's pack, no more because of greater strength and daring than a
marvellous versatility in thievery. In a bored sort of way, being at
the moment lazy with food stolen from Sam Butt's stage, Tog submitted.
He yawned, stretched his long legs, and gave inopportune attention to
a persistent flea near the small of his back. When, however, the butt
of Jimmie's whip fell smartly on his flank, he was surprised into an
appreciation of the fact that a serious attempt was being made to
curtail his freedom; and he was at once alive with resentful protest.

[Illustration: _Courtesy of "The Outing Magaz