et her run--and
Dubby felt that it was butchery, not sport.

Also, if Texas was hurt, the girls would be sad, and cry, and not play
for a long time. He knew, because that happened when their terrier Tige
was run over. And so, with one bound, he jumped upon the instigator of
the trouble, and caught him by the shoulder with his still strong, sharp
teeth. The other dogs wheeled in surprise; and in an instant there was a
battle as bloody as it was short and decisive. Dubby was a marvelous
tactician--the others only novices, and in a very brief period there
were three well-minced malamutes who limped disconsolately in different
directions; leaving a conquering hero on the field, with the spoils of
war--a ruffled gray kitten in a shivering state of uncertainty as to
her ultimate fate, but too weak to make any further defense.

Dubby picked her up in his mouth, and carried her back to the house,
where he carefully deposited her inside the shed, and waited until some
one answered his scratches on the door.

It marked the beginning of a companionship that lasted for years. Every
fine afternoon Dubby would take Texas out for a stroll; and even after
she was a huge seventeen pound cat, well able to hold her own, it was a
reckless dog indeed that showed any hostility toward Texas when Dub was
her body-guard.

One readily comprehends that he might graciously accept her gratitude;
but, as the French Poodle's People say, "Noblesse Oblige," and it
certainly seemed unnecessary that a dog of his achievement should flaunt
his affection for a mere cat in the eyes of the whole world.

While this caused strong disapproval in all canine circles, strangely
enough it apparently made no difference in his standing with men and
women. Mr. Fink, in his exalted position as President of the Nome Kennel
Club, and one of the most brilliant lawyers in Alaska besides, always
raised his hat to Dubby when they met, as a greeting from one keen mind
to another; for the man had watched the skill of the dog on the trail,
and knew that it was unsurpassed in the whole North. "Scotty" Allan
never failed to give every evidence of his sincere regard, and the Woman
had even perpetuated the undesirable association by having Dubby's
picture taken with Texas when they were out on one of their daily
promenades.

And so, admired by men and feared by dogs, the faithful huskie was
singularly exempt from the tragedies of a neglected, forlorn old age.

Ben regarded D