'THE CHANGEABLE PUPPY' 341 



' Frank and his party had all this time been waiting 

 for old Tommy's return. When he arrived William said 

 to him : 



1 " It's very hot, Tommy ; have a drop of something 

 to drink, and take a rest," which he was glad enough to 

 do. And whilst he was refreshing himself the puppy 

 was removed and the sow pig once more put in the sack, 

 and Tommy was again off on his homeward journey ; 

 and Frank and his party commenced shooting again. 

 Once more returned to Mr. Dobedee, his master, Tommy 

 said to him : 



' " Mr. Barratt wanted a so-o-o-ow pig, and not a 

 foxhound puppy." 



' " Well," replied Mr. Dobedee, " I sent him one." 



' " No, you didn't, sir ; you sent him a foxhound 

 puppy, and here he is," shooting him out, as he thought, 

 in the kitchen. 



1 "There," said Mr. Dobedee, "I knew I sent him a 

 sow pig. Have some dinner, Tommy, and take her 

 back again." 



1 Tommy, staring with astonishment, replied : 



' " Oh, no ; she can be a sow pig when she likes and 

 she can be a foxhound puppy when she likes," stuttering 

 the while ; nor would anything induce him to carry her 

 back, though the distance was not far. 



' Frank afterwards, on meeting Mr. Dobedee, told 

 him the story, over which they had a good laugh, and so 

 it ended.' 



This was the chairman's story, and as such received, 

 I need not say, with applause. How shall I tell how he 

 kept us alive afterwards how he sang with great pathos 

 his favourite, ' Auld Lang-syne '; how, in the absence of 

 Harker, who, as he said, ' was engaged that night at a 

 banquet with his Royal Highness the Duke of a town 



