xultation in
his heart, which made him careless of the sharp pain the leap
brought to his side. Something rose in his throat as he reached the
road. His eyes became misty, his nose drooped eagerly to the
surface of the road, and he whimpered softly as he ran, with tail
swaying from side to side, and a great tenderness welling up within
him.

Two minutes later he came to a white gate leading to a shrub-sheltered
garden before a small, low, rambling little house. He
leaped the little gate, and turned sharply to the right in the
garden. But then his way was blocked by high doors, set in masonry,
which could not possibly be climbed or jumped. Before these gates,
which evidently led to the stables and rear of the house, Finn sat
down on his haunches. Then he lifted his long muzzle heavenward and
howled lugubriously. He continued his howling steadily for about
one minute and a half, and at the end of that time a door opened
behind him in the front of the house, and a man clad in pyjamas
rushed out into the garden. Finn had studiously avoided men for
these two days past now; but, so far from avoiding this man, he
rose on his hind-legs to give greeting, and could hardly be induced
to lower his front paws, even when the man in pyjamas had removed
his caressing arms from about the Wolfhound's shoulders. The man,
you see, was the Master, and three minutes afterwards he was joined
by the Mistress of the Kennels. But they were all three in the
Master's outside den then with Tara.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER IX

THE HEART OF TARA

The Mistress of the Kennels held on to one of Finn's fore-paws as
though she feared he might be spirited away from the den, even
while he was being welcomed home there. The fatted calf took the
form of a dish of new milk and some sardines on toast which had
been prepared for the next morning's breakfast. But this came
later, and was polished off by Finn more by reason of its rare
daintiness and his desire to live up to what the occasion seemed to
demand of him, than because he was hungry. At an early stage in
proceedings the Master noticed, and removed, the slip-collar.

"Well, that disposes of the theory that Finn wandered away of his
own accord," said the Master. "If the police know their business
this ought to help them." Then he turned to Finn again. "You didn't
know there was a twenty-five pound reward out for you, my son, did
you? It was to have been made fifty in another day or two; th