n
the day she strolled round the whole premises, and inspected
carefully the various places in which, during the past week or so,
she had buried large bones. The next day found Tara extremely
restless and rather unhappy. She had an uncomfortable feeling that
she had forgotten some important matter which required attention.
In her effort to recall what the thing could be that she had
neglected, she dug two or three more holes, and finally, a thing
she had never thought of doing before, took one of the Master's
slippers--always a singularly dear and comforting piece of property
to Tara--and buried it about two feet deep in a little ditch. She
felt vaguely ashamed about this, though she had no idea that the
Master had watched her taking the slipper away; but she could not
bring herself to return the slipper, because of the hazy need she
felt for laying up treasure and taking every sort of precaution
against a rainy day.

During the afternoon, Tara's general uneasiness increased. She felt
thoroughly uncomfortable and worried; convinced that she had
forgotten some really important matter, and disinclined either to
go out or to stay in. Fifty times the Master opened and closed
doors to suit her changing whims, until poor Tara felt quite
ashamed of herself, though still quite unable to settle down. As a
sort of savoury after dinner, the Master gave her some silky, warm
olive oil; an odd thing to take, Tara thought, but upon the whole
pleasing and comforting. Then, suddenly, and as she woke from a
doze of about ten seconds' duration, Tara decided that it would be
a good thing to tear a hole in the middle of the tight-stretched
old carpet on her big bed. She got to work at once, pleased to
think that she had remembered this little matter in good time, and
was distinctly disappointed when the Master came and sat beside her
on the edge of the bed and playfully held her paws, after gently
lowering her into a lying position. Still, it was good to have him
sit there and chat, as he did for some little time, rubbing the
backs of her ears, and being generally sociable. He was the only
human creature, with the exception of the Mistress of the Kennels,
who had ever really chatted with Tara.

While Tara was gradually forgetting her desire to tear the bed
covering, a cart stopped outside the house, and a whiff, the hint
of an odour, drifted in through the open door of the den, and
caused the great hound's nose to wrinkle ominously. Nex