bag had been crammed rather than packed, after
the wont of bachelors; and you could see where the heel of a boot
distended the leather, and where the bottle of shaving-cream lay.

As he came up to the house, out came Snap as usual--"Yap! yap! yap!"
Now the gentleman was very fond of dogs, and had borne this greeting
some dozen of times from Snap, who for his part knew the visitor quite
as well as the washerwoman, and rather better than the butcher's boy.
The gentleman had good, sensible, well-behaved dogs of his own, and
was greatly disgusted with Snap's conduct. Nevertheless he spoke
friendly to him; and Snap, who had had many a bit from his plate,
could not help stopping for a minute to lick his hand. But no sooner
did the gentleman proceed on his way, than Snap flew at his heels in
the usual fashion--

"Yap! Yap! Yap!"

On which the gentleman--being hot-tempered, and one of those people
with whom it is (as they say) a word and a blow, and the blow
first--made a dash at Snap, and Snap taking to his heels, the
gentleman flung his carpet-bag after him. The bottle of shaving-cream
hit upon a stone and was smashed. The heel of the boot caught Snap on
the back, and sent him squealing to the kitchen. And he never barked
at that gentleman again.

If the gentleman disapproved of Snap's conduct, he still less liked
the continual snapping of the Skratdj family themselves. He was an old
friend of Mr. and Mrs. Skratdj, however, and knew that they were
really happy together, and that it was only a bad habit which made
them constantly contradict each other. It was in allusion to their
real affection for each other, and their perpetual disputing, that he
called them the "Snapping Turtles."

When the war of words waxed hottest at the dinner-table between his
host and hostess, he would drive his hands through his shock of sandy
hair, and say, with a comical glance out of his umber eyes, "Don't
flirt, my friends. It makes a bachelor feel awkward."

And neither Mr. nor Mrs. Skratdj could help laughing.

With the little Skratdjs his measures were more vigorous. He was very
fond of children, and a good friend to them. He grudged no time or
trouble to help them in their games and projects, but he would not
tolerate their snapping up each other's words in his presence. He was
much more truly kind than many visitors, who think it polite to smile
at the sauciness and forwardness which ignorant vanity leads children
so often to "