272 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



but the words were new to him. He felt 

 that he was expected to do something, but he 

 knew not what. He liked the voice ; it was 

 something like Toomey's. He liked the smell 

 of Timmins's homespun shirt ; it, too, was 

 something like Toomey's. He became sud- 

 denly anxious to please this stranger. But 

 what was wanted of him ? He half arose to 

 his feet, and glanced around to see if, per- 

 chance, the inexplicable order had been 

 addressed to some one else. As he turned, 

 Timmins saw, half hidden in the heavy fur 

 of the neck, a stout leather collar. 



" I swear ! " he muttered. " If t'ain't 

 a tame wolf what's got away ! " And with 

 that he sat up ; and pulling his legs, without 

 any very serious hurt, from their covering 

 of earth and sticks, he got stiffly to his feet. 

 For a moment the bright landscape reeled 

 and swam before him, and he had a vague 

 sense of having been hammered all over his 

 body. Then he steadied himself. He saw 

 that the wolf was watching him with the 

 expression of a diffident but friendly dog who 

 would like to make acquaintance. As he 

 stood puzzling his wits, he remembered 

 having read about the great fire which had 

 recently done such damage to Sillaby & 

 Hopkins's circus ; and he concluded that the 



