i8o Next to the Ground 



inverse ratio to his bite. All day Watch 

 was a frolic on four legs, ready to leap and 

 tumble about, stand up, and shake hands across 

 the yard gate, or roll Joe and Patsy over and 

 over in the leaves or upon the grass, some- 

 times catching a hand or foot in his mouth, 

 but never so much as bruising it. He car- 

 ried Billy-Boy on his back, or crawled to 

 put his head in the little fellow's lap. Visit- 

 ing neighbors he saluted with respectful wags 

 of his bushy tail, strangers he followed to 

 the front door, eying them judicially as he 

 walked. That is, unless they were foolish 

 enough to make advances, such as whistling 

 to him, or trying to pat his head. Then 

 he growled hoarsely, and showed half his 

 teeth. 



All this by daylight. At night even his 

 master had to ask his leave to go in or out. 

 If any unwary stranger got through the yard 

 gate Watch leaped upon him, threw him over, 

 and pinned him down, howling loudly for his 

 master to come and see what manner of man 

 he held. Still, unless the captive struggled 

 the dog did not bite. He was vigilant, not 

 vicious. The least sound round about the 

 yard, lawn, orchard, or stable lot, set him ofF 

 patrolling. He never barked unless he found 

 something really suspicious. Patsy said he 

 could smell out thieves from honest folk. 



