Lad: A Dog

the other new-made smears which had been daubed upon Mother Nature's smiling face in the holy name of Civilization. The lonely situation of The Place

, more zeal and most dearth of taste, he had caused the wilderness to blossom like the Fifth Proposition of Euclid. He had turned bosky wildwood into chaste picnic-grove plaisau

Hence the purchase and renovation of the five hundred-acre tract, the building of model farms, the acquisition of priceless livestock, and the hi

of the life supposedly led by mid-Victorian country gentlemen. Not only in respect to keeping open-house and in alternately

try" and who, indeed, had never heard of the word-alternately grinned and swore at the Wall Street Farmer's treatment of them, and mulcted him of huge sums for small ser

o Glure Towers Farm bearing no worthier guerdon than a single third-prize yellow silk rosette and a "Commended" ribbon. First and second prizes, as well as the challenge cup had gone to flocks owned by vastly

with a measly red rosette in token of second prize, while the silver cup went to a bull owned by an elderly Nor

piracy among the down-at-heel rural judges-a conspiracy to boost second-rate stoc

the Wall Street Farmer, in person, drove his $9000 English colt. And a rangy Hackensack gelding won all three heats. In none o

a neat 2.13 in training was beaten out in a 2.17 trot. The groom lost his temper and hi

s were represented there-blue being conspicuously absent. As for cups-the burglar who should break i

had his Inspiration. Which brings us b

he Red Cross flamed from one end of America to the other, as the common rallying point for those who, for a time, must do their fighting on the hithe

flaring placards announcing a Mammoth Outdoor Specialty Dog show, to be held under

ted the use of his beautiful grounds for the Event, and had subscr

but an added interest was to be supplied by the aw

s, graciously turned over the details of the Show to a committee, whose du

ll his available dogs for the Show-at one dollar apiece for each class-and to contribute, if

was the Master. And it was she who suggested the nature of th

for a cup. "To be awarded to the oldest and b

dog-owner whose pet's old age had been made happiest. Hers wa

these amateur shows-as at too many professional exhibits-there was always danger of some sick dog spreading epidemic. Moreover, the living-room trophy-shelf at The Place w

s," he told the Mistress, "and save the

She ran her fingers through his forest of ruff. The great dog's brush pounded drows

e a four-day show-if it were anything longer than a one-day show-he shouldn't go a step. But, you see, I'd be right there with him all the time. And I'd take him into the ring myself, as I did at Madison Square G

settled the matter

ts arrived, a week later, the Mistress a

and-outer coat, for the best collie exhibited by a woman, for the collie whose get had won most prizes in other shows. At th

f New York City-18-KARAT GOLD SPECIALTY CUP

heard of such a thing, at a dog show. And-and won't it look perfectly gorgeous in the very

s, even if Lad should win it, we'd have to buy a microscope to see the thing. It will probably be about half the size of a thimble. Gold cups cost gold money, you know. And I don't suppose this 'Hon. Hugh Lester Maury of New York City' is squ

she confided to the dog, "I'm going to give you a bath in naphtha soap every da

ing the big-type offer once more. "I wonder what that me

s, refusing to be disheartened. "Lad can come up to them. Why,

imistic Master. "But will the

" promised the Mist

much-advertised village of Hampton; whence, by climbing a tortuous first-speed hill, they pre

d by a stable that looked more like a dissolute cathedral-had been given over to ten double rows of "benches," for the anchorage of the Show's three hundre

TO GLUR

s I have hinted, was a ma

and combings of the past week had long since made him morbidly aware that a detested dog show was somewhere at hand. Now, even bef

of high-strung nerves and higher intelligence. The Mistress, after one experience, had refrained from breaking his heart by taking him to those horrors known as

y. But-even as he knew many lesser things-he knew the adored Mistress and Master reveled in such atrocities as dog shows; and that he, for some reason, w

e shown where to bench him. They made Lad as nearly comfortable as possible, on a straw-littered raised stall; between a su

his quest of water for Lad, and

ollie I ever set eyes on. It's farewell to poor old Laddie's hopes, if he is in any of the same classes with tha

. "I won't do anything of the sort. Lad's every

Kennel Club circuits. Yet, this is as perfect a dog as ever Grey Mist was. It's a pleasure to see such an animal. Or," he corrected himself, "it would be, if he wasn't pitted against dear old Lad.

eir fondness for Lad to an extent that perhaps was absurd. Certainly absurd to the man or w

way along the collie section, trying to be inte

hem, too. But not one of the lot, except the Merle, that I'd be afraid to have Lad judged against. The

in the very least," retu

over. Perhaps the Gold Cup is there. If it

urrounding array of pretty silver cups and engraved medals look tawdrily insignificant. Its presence had, already, draw

hased metal, its softly glowing sur

lty Gold Cup.

f eighteen-karat gold. Its value spoke for itself. The vessel was like a half melon in con

one long dumb look at it. "And it's every bit as big as a derby hat. Did you ever

o take pride in his office of guardian to such a treasure. "Sixteen hundred do

istress. "I'd as soon think o

ess and the Master. The latter scarce heard the neighborly greet

en't printed till too late to mail them. So I'm handing out the slips this morning. Mr. Glure took charge of their printing. They didn't get here from the job

manded the Master, rousing himself from his glum inspection

of joy. "Gold Hat! Now you say so, I can't make it loo

y?" insiste

tried to. He is advertised in the premium list, as a New Yorker. You'll remember that, but his name isn't in the New York City Directory or in the New York City telephone book or in the suburban telephone book.

-?" began the Mi

urried to forestall her. "I'm paid to take ch

Maury and make him give a Gold Hat for a c

uperintendent. "And it's none o

in wonder. "I never heard of his shrinking coyly behind another

" interposed the superintendent with extreme irrelevance,

loud for the benefit of the Master wh

test for Hugh Lest

ot already taken at least one blue ribbon at a

u see, most of the dogs at these local Shows are pets, and hardly any of them have been to Madison Sq

Garden last year; and then, you remember, it was so horrible for him

Superintendent, "

five-generation pedigree, containing the names of at least ten champi

dent, "leaving only three out of the original sixteen. Now go ahead with th

gh the preliminary maneuvers prescribed by the Kirkaldie Association, Inc., of Great Britain, for its Working Sheepdog Trials.'-But," s

n within a hundred miles of here, and it's a mighty safe bet that no 'working' sheepdog has ever taken a 'Blue' at an A. K. C. Show. A 'working' dog is

II?" asked the Mistress. "The dog

he dog. T

was a puppy, the Folio said, and trained to herd sheep before ever he was shown. His owner was trying to induce other col

rintende

istress, trying to talk down her keen chagrin over Lad's mis

intendent. "He has every ch

eried the puz

That eclipses Untermeyer's record price of $6500 for old Squire of Tytton. The dog arriv

tsmanlike thing I ever heard of in my life! Do you mean to tell me Mr. Glure put up this sixteen hundred

the Superintendent. "Which per

it all? Half the world is starving or sick or wounded. The other half is working its fingers off to help the Red Cross make Europe a little less like hell; and, when every cent counts in the work, this-this Wall Street Farmer spends sixteen hundred precious dollar

old Lad by making him a party to it all. But we can't go. Don't you see? Mr. Glure is unsportsmanlike, but that's no reason we should be

sn't know the first thing about 'working.' Neither does the only other local entrant that the first two rules have left in the competition.

Does anyone know the terms of a 'Kirkaldie Association's Preliminaries,

s, no doubt, where he got the idea. I went to him for them this morning, and he let me copy the laws governing the prelimina

of paper and read aloud a few

e set in the center. At this fifth post the owner or handler of the contestant shall stand with his dog. Nor s

post numbered '1.' He shall go thence, in the order named, to Posts 2, 3 and 4, without

s shall be added to the score of the dog or dogs which shall make the prescribe

h trainer that Glure bought along with the dog. The trainer tells me Lochinvar can go through those maneuvers and a hundred harder ones without a word being spoken. He works entirely by ge

ell him to, but he can't understand. It was different the time he rounded up Glure's flock of sheep-when he'd never seen a sheep

jarringly cordial voice.

aborately in a morning costume that suggested a stud-groom with ministerial tendenc

agnificent, eh? Oh, Maury's a prince, I tell you! A prince! A bit eccentric, perhaps-as you'll have guessed by the conditions he's put up for the cup. But a prince. A pr

r dully, as Mr. Glure pau

on. There they came upon a scene of dire wrath. Disgruntled owners were loudly denouncing the Mau

ticipation of a neighborhood contest, gargled in positive hatred at the glorio

head in her lap, and was crying unashamed. The Master glanced at her. Then he swore softly, and set

more keenly than could a human that both his gods were wretchedly

og in the opposite bench, "Lochinvar's not entered for

of the Maury Trophy will go up for the 'Winners Class,' and that means Lochinvar will get the cup for t

e," lamented the other. "It's slated to be called before

phy-all out!" bawled an attend

llar, snapped the light show-ring leash in i

him in?" he whispered. "I hate t

ny other dog to-a Gold Hat," she answ

e had thoughtfully set aside a quadrangle of greensward for the Event-a quadrangle bo

when the Mistress arrived. The collie judge standing by the central post decla

es Lad that had survived the first two clauses of the conditions. He

now collie into the ring. She had put on a filmy white muslin dress with gold ribbons that morni

ide her. The judge indicated Post No. 1 with a nod. The girl blinked at

Mac!" she pleaded.

d. But he did not stir. He had not the faintest idea what she wanted hi

aroxysm of barking) she led her collie out of the enclosure, strangling her sob

in their steadiness. She, like Lad, was of the breed that goes down fighting. Lad walked majestically beside her, his eyes dark with sorrow over his goddess' unhap

ress' hand, as he moved along with her to

off Lad's leash and collar. Stroking the dog'

re," she

e did not see the connection, nor know what he was expected t

s gently, pointing once

ng of a finger. Fingers had pointed, hundreds of times, to kennels or to the open doorways or to canoe-bottoms or to car tonneau

ady finger indicated. There was nothing of interest

fifty feet; then he

the voice that w

e she had brought him out before this annoying concourse of humans to show off his obedience all he c

white post, he heard the Mistress call again. He wheeled and sta

gesture that had meant "Stop!" from the time he had been

now the Mistress was point

! Lad!

lowly. Once or twice he stopped and looked back in perple

! Lad!

e this new game played without known rules and i

ould read-a hard-fought longing to cry. It thrilled the big dog, this subtle note of grief. And all

e welcome word of recall came-the recall that would bring him close

e that palm-forward gesture a

This thing was getting on his fine-strung

another direction, and she w

, Lad!

ad obeyed. This time he did not stop to look to her for instructions. From the new vehemence of the Mistress' gesture she had ap

o longer in disgrace he galloped toward the Mistress; only to be halted again by that sharp ges

n still another direction. Now her voice had in it a quiver that even

, Lad!

ad moved away at a crestfallen walk. Four times he stopped and looked back at her, in piteous appeal, asking forg

he w

, went up a prodigious handclapping punctuated by such foolish an

volume of sound came

e! Her

ingly he went toward her expecting at eve

rward to meet him. And out of her face the sorrow-but not

, and gathered his head in her arms and told him what a

and home training might have obeyed them. Yet, for some unexplained rea

one of her little feet in his mighty jaws, as though to crush it. This foot-seizing game was Lad's favorite romp with the Mistress. With no one

old friend. You did it terribly badly I suppose, and of course we'l

im and pat him and praise him. Wherefore Lad at once got to his feet and stood aloofly disd

of folk the Wall Street Farmer

call to him a good many times. And you were signaling pretty steadily every second. Those things count heavily against you, you know. In fact, they goose-egg your chances if another entrant can go the round withou

Mistress, "perhaps he

l contingent made much of him, and where-after the manner of a h

he crowd was banked thicker than ever, for Lochin

t for several minutes while they went through a strenuous dispute.

t he 'work' for me just as well as he'd

the trainer, glumly

I've put him through those rounds a dozen times. He knows me and he

toward the central post. The aristocratic Merle resented the uncalled-for tug by a flash of teeth. Then

Such a dog as one sees perhaps thrice in a lifetime. Such a dog for perfect beauty, as were Southport Sample, Grey Mist

head to the long massy brush-Lochinvar III made people catch their breath and stare. Even t

h. Then, one hand on the Merle's head and the other holding a half-smo

as due, at last, to win a trophy that would be the talk of all the sporting universe. These country-folk who

Glure?" aske

ously returned the

tween the first two fingers of his right hand, he poi

ar moved off at a sweeping run directly i

er snapped his fingers. Instantly Lochinvar dropped to a

account of the cigar stub he held. The snapping motion had brought the fire-end of the stub directly between his

shook his anguished hand rapidly up and down, in the first sting of pain. The

chinvar beheld, as he turned to c

ful of rich oaths, forms no signal known to the very cleverest of "working" collies. Neither does the

stood, puzzled. The Wall Street Farmer recovered at once from his f

after the manner of the best-taught "working" dogs, he had been most rigidly trained fr

tions. Again he had obeyed. Next, he had received a wildly emphatic series of signals whose meaning he could not read. A long course of

rder he must stay where he was until he could be made to understand. He must not dash

uiringly, Lochinvar watched him. The Wall Street Farmer made the gesture a third time-to no purpose other than to deepen

tittered. Someone els

d w

e self control. Again, these inferior country folk seemed about to wrest f

!" he bellowed.

r, except that his owner's temper was

utside a novel. He made a plunge across the quadrangle, seize

e had disliked from the first, was daring to lay violent hands on him-on Champion Lochinvar III, the dog-ari

ookers, a far more murderously resentful growl we

. And, in practically the same moment, his curved eye-teeth were b

e outraged trainer said, as he ran up, would have brought a blush to the cheek of

ee feet from the central post. But your dog had already lost it

Collie" cup, went to The Place that night. Setting the golden monstrosi

of surgical dressings; and gallons of medicine and broth, besides. And that's what it i

Mistress. "Oh, good! s

ed down to buy hospital supplies. If that doesn't take off its curse of unsports

ek later, from Headquarters, came a tiny scarlet e

n memory of a genero

"But its heart value is at least a billion dollars. Besides-you can wear it. And nobody, outside a nightmare, could possibly have worn k