The Fellowship of Dogs 37 



in that household. He walked proudly into 

 the library and lay down on the rug at my 

 feet without waiting for an invitation. He 

 knew the place belonged to him. 



Sailor and Becky had only been married 

 six months, and their first brood of puppies 

 were three months old when he developed an 

 ugly growth on one of his legs. I took him to 

 a hospital in New York near Herald Square 

 and a distinguished English dog surgeon per- 

 formed an operation and removed the growth. 

 He did well with the wound and in ten days 

 was ready to go home. 



How he wept for joy when I came to take 

 him, told me of his suffering under the knife, 

 and how he longed for the sight of my face 

 and the sound of my voice! I explained to 

 him that I didn't come because I couldn't 

 bear to see him suffer. 



"And, Master," he sobbed, "the awful 

 loneliness these ten days I was getting well, 

 and you only stayed a minute or two ! I had 



