friend, who welcomed us effusively and al- 

 ways treated us with a very high-bred courtesy 

 while we shared his room. If it was possible 

 we would then detach his chain without his 

 knowledge and make a rush for the lawn. 

 The result was always the same. There was 

 a thunder of pursuing feet, a black head struck 

 violently against a small boy's back, and a 

 small boy's body, having hurtled through the 

 air, thudded on the grass, to be rolled over and 

 over and pranced upon and ruffled into a ruin 

 of clothes by an enthusiastic dog. Poor old 

 Neptune! He had a mournful end, for he 

 was bitten by a mad dog and had to be de- 

 stroyed. Even now, at a distance of half a 

 century, I cannot bear to think of our dread- 

 ful sorrow, when in spite of our passionate 

 protests, that tragedy was accomplished. It 

 was our first experience of all that is irremedi- 

 able in the death of a friend. 

 % I must content myself, not as honouring 

 them less, but as being limited in regard to 

 space, with a bare mention of Shep, a beauti- 

 18 



