oing overboard under the slender railing. With a sort of
scooping kick Mr. Pike sent the animal rolling half across the poop.
Howling and snapping more violently, Possum regained his feet and
staggered on toward the opposite railing.

"Don't touch him!" Mr. Pike cried, as Miss West showed her intention of
catching the crazed little animal with her hands. "Don't touch'm! He's
got a fit."

But it did not deter her. He was half-way under the railing when she
caught him up and held him at arm's length while he howled and barked and
slavered.

"It's a fit," said Mr. Pike, as the terrier collapsed and lay on the deck
jerking convulsively.

"Perhaps a chicken pecked him," said Miss West. "At any rate, get a
bucket of water."

"Better let me take him," I volunteered helplessly, for I was unfamiliar
with fits.

"No; it's all right," she answered. "I'll take charge of him. The cold
water is what he needs. He got too close to the coop, and a peck on the
nose frightened him into the fit."

"First time I ever heard of a fit coming that way," Mr. Pike remarked, as
he poured water over the puppy under Miss West's direction. "It's just a
plain puppy fit. They all get them at sea."

"I think it was the sails that caused it," I argued. "I've noticed that
he is very afraid of them. When they flap, he crouches down in terror
and starts to run. You noticed how he ran with his head turned back?"

"I've seen dogs with fits do that when there was nothing to frighten
them," Mr. Pike contended.

"It was a fit, no matter what caused it," Miss West stated conclusively.
"Which means that he has not been fed properly. From now on I shall feed
him. You tell your boy that, Mr. Pathurst. Nobody is to feed Possum
anything without my permission."

At this juncture Wada arrived with Possum's little sleeping box, and they
prepared to take him below.

"It was splendid of you, Miss West," I said, "and rash, as well, and I
won't attempt to thank you. But I tell you what-you take him. He's your
dog now."

She laughed and shook her head as I opened the chart-house door for her
to pass.

"No; but I'll take care of him for you. Now don't bother to come below.
This is my affair, and you would only be in the way. Wada will help me."

And I was rather surprised, as I returned to my deck chair and sat down,
to find how affected I was by the little episode. I remembered, at the
first, that my pulse had been distinctly accelerat