198 DOGS 



Highland churches where the colHes were regular 

 members of the congregation ; they followed the 

 hill shepherds over miles of moor and moss, 

 curling themselves up at their masters' feet. Gene- 

 rally they snored peacefully through the service, 

 but sometimes one would waken up from a night- 

 mare, make a snap at his neighbour, and then there 

 would be trouble. There would be a free-fight 

 in the passages, when the hair was flying and 

 the shepherds flourishing their sticks, for they 

 were shy of trusting their hands among the sharp- 

 toothed combatants. Then the dogs would be 

 kicked out, the doors closed upon them, and the 

 minister, not unaccustomed to such scenes, would 

 recommence his sermon, where he had been in- 

 terrupted. But Charlie never came farther than 

 the porch ; there he would sit out the longest 

 service with exemplary patience, in the hope of 

 being taken afterwards for a quiet stroll. 



• ••••• 



All dogs have a dash of jealousy in their natures. 

 You may take it as a general rule that the more 

 a dog loves you, the more jealous he w^ill be. You 

 are patting the head or playing with the ears of a 

 favourite, when another protests with a muttering 

 growl, and a third remonstrates more quietly by 

 laying his chin over your leg. That shows the 

 difference of dispositions ; one, if he dared, would 

 savagely resent any preference, and the other is 

 content to steal into your affections. Puppies of 

 the same litter, brought up in the same way, turn 



