"I say, Miss Celia," he cried.

"Yes, Ram."

"You like Grip, don't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then I won't never kick him, miss. Only I arn't fond on him. Here,
mate," he continued, dropping on one knee, "give us your paw."

The dog, a sturdy-looking deerhound, growled, and closed up to his
mistress.

"D'ye hear? Give's your paw. What yer growling about?"

The dog didn't say, but growled more fiercely.

"Grip, down! Give him your paw," cried the girl.

The dog turned his muzzle up to his mistress, and uttered a low whine.

"Says he don't like to shake hands with a lad like me," said Ram,
laughing.

"But I say he is to, sir," cried the girl haughtily. "Give him your
paw, Grip."

She took the dog by the ear and led him unwillingly toward the boy,
whose eyes sparkled with delight while the hound whimpered and whined
and protested, as if he had an unconquerable dislike to the act he was
called upon to perform.

"Now," cried the girl, "directly, sir. Give him your paw."

What followed seemed ludicrous in the extreme to the boy, for, in
obedience to his mistress's orders, the dog lifted his left paw and
turned his head away to gaze up at his mistress.

"The wrong paw, sir," she cried. "Now, again."

"_Pow how_!" howled the dog, raising his paw now to have it seized by
the boy, squeezed and then loosened, a termination which seemed to give
the animal the most profound satisfaction. For now it was over, he
barked madly and rushed round and round the boy in the most friendly
way.

"There, miss," said Ram with a grin; "we shall be friends now. Nex'
rats we ketch down home, I'll bring up here for him to kill. Hey, Grip!
Rats! Rats!"

The dog bounded up to the boy, rose on his hind legs and placed his
forepaws on the lad's chest, barking loudly.

"Good dog, then. Good-bye, miss; I must get back."

"Oh!"

"You call, miss?" cried the boy, turning as he went whistling away.

"Yes, yes, Ram," said the girl hesitatingly, and glancing behind her,
then up at the house where all was perfectly still. "Do you remember
coming up and bringing a basket about a month ago?"

"Yes, miss, I r'member. That all, miss?"

"No," said the girl, still hesitating. "Ram, are the men coming up to
the house in the middle of the night?"

"Dunno what you mean, miss."

"You do, sir, for you were with them. I saw you and ever so many more
come up with little barrels slung over their shoulders."

Ram's face