THE LITTLE RED DOG 213 



descended to tell us anything about lively girl, and I remember that a poor 



this low-down animal. native woman who lived in a smoky 



Where the cur or pariah flourishes, hovel a few miles away was fond of 



there you are sure to find the small red her, and that she came one day with 



dog, and perhaps wonder at his ability a present for her something precious, 



to maintain his existence. He is cer- wrapped up in a shawl a little red 



tainly placed at a great disadvantage, pup, one of a litter which her own 



If he finds or steals a bone, the first beloved dog had brought forth. My 



big dog he meets will say to him, sister accepted the present joyfully, 



" Drop it ! " And he will drop it at for though we possessed fourteen or 



once, knowing very well that if he fifteen dogs at the time these all be- 



refuses to do so it will be taken from longed to the house ; they were every- 



him, and his own poor little bones body's and nobody's in particular, and 



perhaps get crunched in the process, she was delighted to have one that 



As compensation he has, I fancy, a would be her very own. It grew into 



somewhat quicker intelligence, a subtler a common small red dog, rather better 



cunning. His brains weigh less by a looking than most of its kind, having 



great deal than those of a bulldog, or a a bushier tail, longer and brighter 



big cur, but (like ladies' brains compared coloured hair, and a somewhat foxy 



with men's) they are of a finer quality, head and face. In spite of these good 



When I encountered this animal in points, we boys never tired of laughing 

 the quiet Somerset road, and laughed at her little Reddie, as he was called, 

 to see him and exclaimed mentally, and his intense devotion to his young 

 ' There he goes, the same old little mistress and faith in her power to pro- 

 red dog, suspicious and sneaky as ever, tect him only made him seem more 

 and very brisk and busy although his ludicrous. When we all walked to- 

 years must be well-nigh as many as gether on the grass plain, my brother 

 my own," I was thinking of the far and I used to think it great fun to 

 past, and the sight of him brought separate Reddie from his mistress by 

 back a memory of one of the first of making a sudden dash, and then hunt 

 the small red dogs I have known in- him over the turf. Away he would 

 timately. I was a boy then, and my go, performing a wide circuit, then, 

 home was in the pampas of Buenos doubling back, would fly to her for 

 Ayres. I had a young sister, a bright, safety. She, stooping and holding out 



