e, Rathburn
petted the dog, fed him, taught him to "speak" and to "beg," and made
of him an almost constant companion. At the end of that time, the
novelty having worn thin, he was ready--as he expressed it to
himself--to "call the whole thing off," and great was his disgust that
the dog failed to see the affair in the same light.

For some time, Rathburn endured the plaintive whines, the questioning
eyes, the frequent thrusts of a cold little nose against his hand; then
he determined to end it all.

"Stub, come here!" he called sharply, his right hand seeking his pocket.

With a yelp of joy the dog leaped forward--not for days had his master
voluntarily noticed him.

Rathburn raised his pistol and took careful aim. His eye was steady
and his hand did not shake. Two feet away the dog had come to a sudden
halt. Something in the eye or in the leveled weapon had stayed his
feet. He whined, then barked, his eyes all the while wistfully
demanding an explanation. Suddenly, his gaze still fixed on his
master's face, he rose upright on his haunches and held before him two
little dangling paws.

There was a silence, followed by a muttered oath, as the pistol dropped
to the ground.

"Confound my babyishness!" snarled Rathburn, stooping and pocketing his
weapon. "One would think I'd never seen a gun before!"

This was on Sunday. On Monday Rathburn took the dog far up the trail.

"Want a dog?" he said to the low-browed, unkempt man sitting at the
door of a squat cabin.

"Well, I don't. I ain't buyin' dogs these days."

"Yer don't have ter buy this one," observed Rathburn meaningly.

The other glanced up with sharp eyes.

"Humph! Bite?" he snapped.

Rathburn shook his head.

"Sick of him," he returned laconically. "Like his room better'n his
company."

"Humph!" grunted the other. Then to the dog: "Come here, sir, an'
let's have a look at ye!"

Five minutes later Rathburn strode down the trail alone, while behind
him, on the other side of the fast-shut cabin door, barked and
scratched a frantic little yellow dog.

Tuesday night, when Rathburn came home, the first sound that greeted
him was a joyous bark, as a quivering, eager little creature leaped
upon him from out of the dark.

On Wednesday Stub trotted into town at Rathburn's heels, and all the
way down the straggling street he looked neither to the right nor to
the left, so fearful did he seem that the two great boots he was
following should i