98 TALES OF FINK AND SILK. 



the black bully; "well, perhaps a nip will stimulate you." 

 So at him goes Peter, and grabs him by the back of 

 the neck. Scrapper gives a slight cry of pain, but 

 shakes himself free, and still tries to continue his 

 journey in peace. Once more to the attack comes the 

 valiant retriever, and closes with his opponent with the 

 intention of giving him a good mauling and then leaving 

 him to think about it. 



Scrapper sees that he will have to fight; it is an awful 

 nuisance, but there will be no peace for him until he 

 has taken Peter's number down, and peace is all he 

 wants. Peter suddenly finds his near hind leg in a vice- 

 like grip ; the next moment he is on his back and 

 experiencing sensations that he never did before. Scrapper 

 is roused and fighting like a fury. Over and over they roll 

 in the dust, with a chorus of growls and cries of pain ; but 

 the cries of pain do not seem to come from Scrapper. Red- 

 headed Billy hears it, and hurries away from Mary's 

 fascinating charms, for the four-year-old is pulling at the 

 cord that fastens him to the rails, and Billy will get a hiding 

 on his return to Bentley if as much as a buckle gives way. 

 " Hi ! stop it, you brutes ! Peter, give over ! Come 

 here, you ugly black beast ! Miss Ethel's dog '11 kill yer 

 if yer don't!" 



Peter would like to, but he can't ; he's busy just at the 

 moment. "Copper Nob," as Mary invariably calls her de- 

 voted admirer, sees a hiding looming in the distance if Peter 

 should go home mauled, seizes his whip and dashes into the 

 melee with a view to giving Scrapper " what for " and making 

 him leave go. It has the desired effect, for the Airedale 

 leaves the retriever to make a dive at his fresh antagonist's 

 legs; it is only a feint, for Scrapper never misses his point, 

 but as the boy jumps back out of reach, the retriever rolls 

 himself into a ditch and lies there howling. Scrapper 



