Canine Sagacity. 293 



Saturday and Frisky had again disappeared. Search was 

 everywhere made, but the missing one was nowhere to be 

 found. That he had slipped out when the door was opened, 

 was now most obvious. No effort was made to find his 

 hiding-place, for we all knew that he would come back with 

 the shadows. 



His coming was later this time than before. The sun had 

 long gone to rest. It was pitch dark when the pawing of 

 little feet against the door announced his return. 



This second offence was passed over as the first had been, 

 and Frisky was his jolly, frolicsome self once more. A score 

 of Saturdays was thus managed and the hateful bath escaped, 

 for well this cunning bit of flesh and fur knew that the sev- 

 enth was the only day of the week when it was convenient 

 for his mistress to attend to his ablutions. 



That Frisky was able to count, or had some means of 

 determining the coming of the day he so thoroughly 

 detested, there can be no question. But the exceeding cute- 

 ness of his nature not only showed itself in his manner of 

 getting rid of the hateful bath, but in various other ways. 

 He seemed equal to every emergency that could arise. Often- 

 times I have watched him, as he lay upon a rug by the kitchen- 

 hearth, or upon the pillow of a new-made bed, for he was at 

 liberty to go where he pleased about the house, and I have 

 fancied that I could see him thinking, or read the train of 

 thoughts passing through his mind, so human-like seemed 

 he in these reflective moments. 



When scolded for some trifling misdoing, or threatened 

 with denial of some expected pleasure, no so-called brute 

 could show more pitying glances. His grief was often heart- 

 rending to behold. Prostrate upon the ground or carpet, or 

 in what place soever he chanced to be, he would moan and 

 moan for hours together, and only consent to be comforted 

 when the burden was lifted from off his soul by a kind 

 word spoken, a smiling look given, or a quick, hearty shake 

 of his delicate paw. When happy, and it did not take much 



