has he?"

"Never did such a thing in his life!" said the colonel, warmly; "he
rushed off after a rat or a frog or something a few minutes ago, and as
I stopped to light another cheroot I lost sight of him. I thought I saw
him slip in under your gate, but I've been calling him from the front
there and he won't come out."

No, and he never _would_ come out any more. But the colonel must not be
told that just yet. I temporised again: "If," I said, unsteadily--"if he
had slipped in under the gate I should have seen him. Perhaps he took it
into his head to run home?"

"Oh, I shall find him on the door-step, I expect, the knowing old scamp!
Why, what d' ye think was the last thing he did, now?"

I could have given him the very latest intelligence, but I dared not.
However, it was altogether too ghastly to kneel there and laugh at
anecdotes of Bingo told across Bingo's dead body; I could not stand
that. "Listen," I said, suddenly, "wasn't that his bark? There, again;
it seems to come from the front of your house, don't you think?"

"Well," said the colonel, "I'll go and fasten him up before he's off
again. How your teeth are chattering! You've caught a chill, man; go
indoors at once, and, if you feel equal to it, look in half an hour
later, about grog-time, and I'll tell you all about it. Compliments to
your mother. Don't forget--about grog-time!"

I had got rid of him at last, and I wiped my forehead, gasping with
relief. I would go round in half an hour, and then I should be prepared
to make my melancholy announcement. For, even then, I never thought
of any other course, until suddenly it flashed upon me with terrible
clearness that my miserable shuffling by the hedge had made it
impossible to tell the truth! I had not told a direct lie, to be sure,
but then I had given the colonel the impression that I had denied having
seen the dog. Many people can appease their consciences by reflecting
that, whatever may be the effect their words produce, they did contrive
to steer clear of a downright lie. I never quite knew where the
distinction lay morally, but there _is_ that feeling--I have it myself.

Unfortunately, prevarication has this drawback: that, if ever the truth
comes to light, the prevaricator is in just the same case as if he had
lied to the most shameless extent, and for a man to point out that
the words he used contained no absolute falsehood will seldom restore
confidence.

I might, of course, still tell t