occasions had helped to pull down wounded 

 game ; she had no knowledge or skill, and was only 

 fierce and brave, and there was always the risk 

 that she would be killed. She would listen to Ted, 

 but to no one else ; one of us might have shouted 

 his lungs out, but it would not have stopped her from 

 giving chase the moment she saw anything and keeping 

 on till she was too dead beat to move any further. 



The first time I saw Jess we were having dinner, 

 and I gave her a bone putting it down close to her 

 and saying, " Here ! good dog ! " As she did not 

 even look at it, I moved it right under her nose. She 

 gave a low growl, and her little eyes turned on me 

 for just one look as she got up and walked away. 



There was a snigger of laughter from some of the 

 others, but nobody said anything, and it seemed 

 wiser to ask no questions just then. Afterwards, 

 when we were alone, one of them told me Ted had 

 trained her not to feed from any one else, adding, 

 " You must not feed another man's dog ; a dog has 

 only one master ! " 



We respected Jess greatly ; but no one knew quite 

 how much we respected her until the memorable day 

 near Ship Mountain. 



We had rested through the heat of the day under 

 a big tree on the bank of a little stream ; it was the 

 tree under which Soltke prayed and died. About 

 sundown, just before we were ready to start, some 

 other waggons passed, and Ted, knowing the owner, 

 went on with him intending to rejoin us at the next 

 outspan. As he jumped on to the passing waggon 



50 



