leam
softened in Jan's eyes. He thrust his nose into the pan but the muzzle
was too tight to permit him to drink. The dog looked up at Shorty, who
reached out his hand. Jan's tail waved, then he felt fingers run lightly
along his shoulders, fumble at the buckle of the muzzle and the cruel
thing fell to the floor. Before the dog lapped the water that he craved,
he stared into Shorty's face and saw a kindly smile that told him this
man was a friend. Jan's hot tongue touched Shorty's hand before turning
to lap the cool liquid.

"You'll be all right now," Shorty said as he rubbed the places where the
strap had cut deeply. Then when Jan had finished drinking, the man fed
him bits of meat.

After the meal was over, Shorty took a pair of clippers and cropped
Jan's long hair close to the skin. It did not hurt, so the dog submitted
quietly. A sponge and bucket of dark liquid were brought by the man and
Jan was thoroughly saturated, until the dye dripped to the floor.

"Got to put on that muzzle, boy, before he gets back," but this time the
strips did not hurt so badly.

William chuckled when he saw the dog. "Great stunt, Shorty! The
poundmaster wouldn't know his own dog if he caught him now!"

He picked up a couple of bundles and a suitcase, while Shorty led Jan by
the rope. They were in a deep canyon, where no sound of the ocean could
be heard. Jan did not know the place. He had never been away from the
noise of the surf since living in California. A big, black automobile
stood under a tree. William tossed the things into it and climbed to the
front seat with a laugh.

"The police will have as much trouble finding a grey machine as the
poundman will have finding a long-haired St. Bernard dog. We'll hit the
road lively at night and camp in the day. There's just one thing you've
got to remember. If I see you getting stuck on that dog I'm going to
kill him. I'm taking him along because you said you could sell him, and
I'm not going to stand any nonsense about it."

Shorty's only answer was to open the back door of the machine and motion
the dog to jump. He obeyed and curled on the floor. Shorty sat in the
back seat while William drove.

Jan did not sleep during the long, dark hours they sped over the road.
He kept wondering what the captain would think, and hoping he could get
back home some way. Once in a while he lifted his head as a flash of
light showed another automobile passing. At daybreak William turned into
thic