clung close to his heels, and
he even seemed to the boy to tremble when they crossed the busy streets.

"You mustn't be afraid, Topaz," said Gabriel stoutly. "No one likes a
coward."

But Topaz only clung the closer, sometimes looking from left to right,
fearfully. At last his actions were so strange that Gabriel took him up
under his arm. "Perhaps if we meet his owner he can see him the better so,"
thought the boy, and he looked questioningly into the faces of men, women,
and children as they passed him by. No one did more than stare at him after
observing the beautiful head that looked out from under his arm.

One good-natured man smiled in passing and said to Gabriel: "Going to the
palace, I suppose."

This remark astonished the boy very much, and he looked around after the
man.

Now there had been some one following Gabriel for the last five minutes,
and when he looked around, this person, who was an organ-grinder, quickly
turned his back and began grinding out a tune. At the first sound of it
Topaz started and trembled violently and snuggled so close to Gabriel that
the latter, who did not connect his action with the music, was dismayed.

"Topaz, what _is_ the matter?" he asked, and hurried along, thinking to
find some park where he could sit down and try to discover what ailed his
little playfellow.

As he began to hurry, the organ-grinder's black eyes snapped, and he
stopped playing and beckoned to a big officer of the law who stood near.

"My dog has been stolen," he exclaimed. "Come with me, after the thief. I
will pay you."

The big man obeyed and walked along, grumbling: "Is the city full of
stolen dogs, I wonder?" he muttered.

"It is my dancing dog!" explained the organ-grinder. "The boy yonder is
carrying him in his arms and running away. He will deny it, but I will pay
you a silver coin. It is a week since I lost him."

"Stop, thief," roared the officer, beginning to run. The organ-grinder ran
as well as he could with his heavy burden, and there began to be an
excitement on the street, so that Gabriel, hugging his dog, stopped to see
what was the matter.

What was his surprise to be confronted by the big officer and the
black-eyed Italian.

"Drop that dog!" ordered the officer gruffly.

"Not till I get a string around his neck," objected the organ-grinder, and
produced a cord which he knotted about Topaz's fluffy throat. Then he
pulled the dog away roughly.

"Is he yours?" cried Gabrie