48 A BOOK OF MORTALS 



capable dog, who from that time performed all her various 

 little rounds and inspections while she enjoyed a well-earned 

 repose by the fire. 



(2) In one Indian bungalow lived Jumbo, by courtesy 

 an Airedale terrier, by rights as much a King of Dogs as 

 the one whose portrait, so entitled, has withstood Time 

 in company with his master, the King of Kings, of an 

 Egyptian dynasty in an Egyptian tomb. 



Further down the Mall in a bachelor's bungalow lived 

 a spaniel, with, it was supposed, two thorough-bred new- 

 born spaniel puppies. One night Jumbo's mistress was 

 amazed to see him come into her room carrying in his 

 mouth a small puppy which he deliberately gave over to 

 her care, never leaving her or it until, after unavailing 

 attempts to make it drink out of a saucer, he saw it properly 

 fed from a bottle. Then, and not till then, he cuddled 

 down comfortably beside it as if he had been its mother. 

 Two days afterwards the owner of the spaniel, when calling, 

 told Jumbo's mistress of his great loss. Some nights before 

 the poor spaniel's mother had been found outside his garden 

 dead of snake-bite or wantonly killed. His native servants 

 had tried to feed the pups, but one had died and the other 

 had most mysteriously disappeared. 



" Come and see," said Jumbo's mistress, a light dawning 

 upon her. A true light also ; for after years left no doubt 

 as to the pup's parentage. So the wise old dog, after the 

 death of his one motherless child, must have removed the 

 other to the care of a better nurse who had babies and 

 bottles of her own, a nurse whom he could trust so 

 far. But for the rest Jumbo held himself responsible, 

 and a smarter, better-cared-for, better-drilled pup never 



