PYX, B. A. 



39* 



Enough to drawl through. 1 was a little 

 careless, however, and made more noise 

 than I should, I suppose, for the old woman 

 awakened, and when she saw me digging 

 she rushed for the opening. But I was too 

 quick for her; out I wriggled and away I 

 ran, nor did I stop until I was safe aboard 

 the ship and whining at my master's door. 

 He was as glad to see me as I was to see 

 him. He told me I was a bad dog. I 

 dropped my stump of a tail and agreed with 

 him. He said I needed a whipping. I put 

 on my most abject air. I said as plain as a 

 dog could that I was sorry, and he—bless 

 his dear, kind heart — he patted me and said 

 we would take the whipping — next time. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



I FIND A NEW HOME 



I think my master and I were both glad 

 when we found we were to winter that year 

 at Coronado, way down on the southern 

 coast of California. We had both been there 

 before, and we liked it. So one bright, 

 beautiful day — nearly all the days are 

 bright and beautiful there — we sailed into 

 the harbor of San Diego and anchored on 

 the Coronado side. 



I was very anxious to get out and see if I 

 could find any of my old friends, and most 

 particularly did I want to get after the jack 

 rabbits on North Island. I had a few days 

 of absolute freedom, in which I met some 

 old friends, made some new ones and had 

 five beautiful fights. And then, much to my 

 disgust, I found I was expected to be a trim, 

 respectable ship dog again, with a bath 

 every other day, and all the rest of it. I was 

 told I was going on a visit and must behave 

 my best. 



That afternoon a young lady took me 

 away in a nice carriage. We drove onto a 

 big boat and through many streets up to her 

 home. I had never been in San Diego 

 before, so the ride on the boat and all the 

 rest of it was interesting, and I enjoyed it 

 greatly. 



The people at the young lady's home 

 were very kind to me, but I was not at all 

 interested in them, so I watched my chance 

 and slipped out and started off for the ship. 

 I felt pretty sure of my way, for I had kept 

 my eyes open as we drove up. I found the 



place where we Left the ferry boat with little 

 trouble, but I here was no boal there, only 

 the great stretch of water, and away over on 

 the other side was my home, the Bear. I 

 laid down to think what I had better do. I 

 was afraid I could not swim so far, but I was 

 just about to try when I saw a boat coming 

 and recognized the ferry. I went aboard, 

 laid down under a seat until she touched 

 the Coronado side and then trotted off and 

 ran to the ship, expecting, of course, my 

 master would be delighted to see me. But 

 somehow he did not seem very glad and 

 mumbled something about some dogs not 

 knowing a good thing when they saw it. 

 He could not have referred to me, because 

 I knew a good thing. Hadn't I proved it by 

 my return to the Bear? 



About a week later my master called me 

 over to him and as I jumped up in his lap 

 and he took my face between his hands he 

 said, u Pyx, little fellow, look at me; listen. 

 I have something to tell you." 



Then he told me he was going to leave the 

 Bear — that he had been given other duty 

 and he could not take me with him. He did 

 not want to leave me on the Bear, with any 

 of the other officers, as he feared another 

 cold such as I had had would finish me. 

 He told me of the beautiful home he had 

 found for me, and how he knew I would be 

 happy in this sunny southland. We had a 

 regular heart to heart talk ; I tried with my 

 eyes to tell him I understood and would do 

 all he wanted me to do. So he took me over 

 to San Diego to the people I had run away 

 from; he gave me to understand I was to 

 stay there, mind my mistress and be a 

 credit to him. 



It was awfully hard to have him go, and 

 I think he felt pretty bad to leave me, but 

 I made up my mind I would be good and 

 stay, and I have. 



The folks are very kind to me. I have 

 everything a dog can wish for and am very 

 happy. I sometimes miss the life on the 

 ship, my friends there and the moving from 

 place to place, but here I take long rides in 

 the automobile, go out into the country to a 

 place they call the Ranch, where I can 

 chase the rabbits and squirrels all I want, 

 and sometimes we go out in the boat on the 

 bay, and again I smell the salt sea and bark 

 my fill at the gulls and pelicans. 



