44 



the dog learnd to watch and rifle their hiding places. 

 Their dehght in bright objects was remarkable. The 

 spoon in my early morning tea, taken in the garden 

 or verandah, was of even more interest to them than 

 my buttered toast, and they were never tired of 

 tugging at my watch chain, in order to get out the 

 watch, a deeply coveted plaything. Everything of 

 this shining sort that came within reach was 

 promplty buried, dug up again, re-buried with 

 elaborate precautions, and forgotten after a few days. 

 In the hot weather they vastly enjoyed eating and 

 playing with pieces of ice. which they hid for future 

 use. But ice is a treasure fleeting as fairy gold, and 

 the birds showed by the fussy action, sidelong squints, 

 and interrogative turns of the head, which make 

 them such diverting comedians, how deeply they 

 were puzzled by its disappearance. ^ Surely, surely. 



one would seem to say, 

 as he turned up the 

 corner of the matting, 

 ' I hid a cold chunk of 

 shining stuff here, — 

 but where is it ? 

 Never mind, I will get 



