ot go off, that there dog--"

Grip had been looking on uneasily, and turning his head from one to the
other, as each spoke in turn; but the minute he heard himself mentioned,
he showed his teeth, and began to growl fiercely at the man.

"Look ye here," cried Jemmy, sitting up quickly and snatching away his
hat, "if you comes at me--see the heel o' that there boot?"

He held up the great heavy object named, ready to kick out, and Grip
bared his teeth for an attack.

"Down, Grip! Come here, sir. How dare you?"

But Grip did dare, and he would have dashed at the labourer if Celia had
not caught him by the loose skin of his neck, when he began to shake his
head and whine in a way that sounded like protesting.

"And me giving a bit of advice too," said Jemmy in an ill-used tone.

Grip barked fiercely.

"Be quiet, sir!"

"And going to say, little missus, that if that there dog comes hanging
about here, he'll go over them there cliffs as sure as buttons, and
never be seen no more."

"Come away, Grip. Thank you, Mr Dadd," said Celia, hurrying the dog
away, and giving him a run down along the hollow; while Jemmy Dadd threw
himself back, rolled over on to his face, and laughed hoarsely.

"I say, young Ram," he cried, "what a game!"

"What's a game?" said the boy sharply.

"That there dog; he won't forget that whack I give him on the ribs for
long enough."

"Needn't have thrown so hard."

"Why not?"

"Don't like to see dogs hurt," said Ram, who was dealing with an awkward
knot.

"Oh, don't you! Why, if your father had been along here with that rusty
old gun of hisn, that he shoots rabbits with, and seen that dog
scratching among them stones, know what he'd have done?"

"No."

"Well, then, I do. He'd have shot him. And if I ketches him ferretin'
about there again, I'll drop a big flat stone down on him, and then
chuck him off the cliff."

"If you do, I'll chuck you down after him," said Ram.

"What?" cried the man, bursting into a fresh roar of laughter. "Oh,
come, I likes that. Why, you pup! That's what you are--a pup."

This was uttered with what was meant to be a most contemptuous
intonation of the voice.

"Pups can bite hard sometimes, Jemmy," said Ram slowly; "and I shan't
have Miss Celia's dog touched."

"Ho! Then he's to come here when he likes, and show everybody the way
into our store, is he? Well, we shall see."

"Yes; and you'd better go and see if they've gone."

"Ah, yes, l