A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



all of which the yellow dog, with the exuberance 

 of misdirection, in an animal that has no regular 



3 O 



conduits for her emotions, began to make the place 

 ring with barking. I understood perfectly well 

 every phrase of her declamation. &quot; Oh, say, 

 master, I knew that you were up to something, 

 but I never dreamed it was as lively as this ! Yap, 

 yap, yap. It s as good as if rats had wings.&quot; 

 And presently, as I got the lamp lit, and burned my 

 fingers trying to pull one of the infernal imps out 

 of the ashes, and was dancing round the room 

 blowing my hands, with the dog at my heels, shout 

 ing, &quot; Go it, this is something like life,&quot; I saw 

 Charlie sitting up in bed, rubbing his fists into his 

 eyes to get the smoke out, and trying to say with 

 all the features he had, &quot; What s broke loose ? &quot; 



When this episode had quieted down, I looked 

 at my watch. It was only four o clock. I sat 

 down in a chair and laughed hysterically like a 

 woman, and there stood that expectant yellow dog, 

 saying as plainly as an oscillating spinal system 

 could say : &quot; Now, that was fine. What next ? &quot; 



I had never before in my life waited for the 

 morning. Many persons, I dare say, have waited 

 for it every night of their lives. But I did not 

 think of that, nor of the other fact that to many 

 of them it never came. 



By and by the flame of the lamp began to grow 

 greenishly dull, and a gray, ghostly light stole in 



bv degrees. I heard the breath of dawn rustling 



j 



the leaves. It was like the footsteps of a return 

 ing friend why not say an airy herald ? Griselle 



148 



