whistling and even, from
time to time, breaking into a lively bit of song. What a devil-may-care
chap he seemed, anyway! I was greatly interested.

When at length I drew alongside he did not seem in the least surprised.
He turned, glanced at me with his bold black eyes, and broke out again
into the song he was singing. And these were the words of his song--at
least, all I can remember of them:

Oh, I'm so fine and gay,
I'm so fine and gay,
I have to take a dog along,
To kape the ga-irls away.

What droll zest he put into it! He had a red nose, a globular red nose
set on his face like an overgrown strawberry, and from under the worst
derby hat in the world burst his thick curly hair.

"Oh, I'm so fine and gay," he sang, stepping to the rhythm of his song,
and looking the very image of good-humoured impudence. I can't tell how
amused and pleased I was--though if I had known what was to happen later
I might not have been quite so friendly--yes, I would too!

We fell into conversation, and it wasn't long before I suggested that
we stop for luncheon together somewhere along the road. He cast a quick
appraising eye at my bag, and assented with alacrity. We climbed a fence
and found a quiet spot near a little brook.

I was much astonished to observe the resources of my jovial companion.
Although he carried neither bag nor pack and appeared to have
nothing whatever in his pockets, he proceeded, like a professional
prestidigitator, to produce from his shabby clothing an extraordinary
number of curious things--a black tin can with a wire handle, a small
box of matches, a soiled package which I soon learned contained tea,
a miraculously big dry sausage wrapped in an old newspaper, and a
clasp-knife. I watched him with breathless interest.

He cut a couple of crotched sticks to hang the pail on and in two or
three minutes had a little fire, no larger than a man's hand, burning
brightly under it. ("Big fires," said he wisely, "are not for us.") This
he fed with dry twigs, and in a very few minutes he had a pot of tea
from which he offered me the first drink. This, with my luncheon and
part of his sausage, made up a very good meal.

While we were eating, the little dog sat sedately by the fire. From time
to time his master would say, "Speak, Jimmy."

Jimmy would sit up on his haunches, his two front paws hanging limp,
turn his head to one side in the drollest way imaginable and give a
yelp. His master