me! He didn't mean to," went on the Kid.

"Of course he didn't," said Ann with conviction. "Father, ye're too
hard on the dawg. Ye hadn't oughter have kicked him."

An obstinate look settled on Joe Barnes's face. "Yes, I had, too. 'N'
he'll be gittin' more'n that, ef he don't l'arn not to be ugly to the
Kid," he retorted harshly. Then, with an uneasy sense that, whether
right or wrong, he was in the minority, he returned to the doorstep
and moodily resumed his smoking. Ann called Sonny many times to come
out and get his dinner. But Sonny, broken-hearted, and the ruins of
all his life and love and trust tumbled about his ears, would not hear
her. He was huddled in the back of his kennel, with his nose jammed
down into the corner.

* * * * *

Two days later it happened that both Joe and Ann went down together
into the field in front of the house to weed the carrot patch. They
left the Kid asleep in his trundle bed, in the little room off the
kitchen. When they were gone, Sonny came out of his kennel and lay
down in the middle of the yard, where he could keep a watchful eye on
everything belonging to Joe Barnes.

It was the Kid's invariable custom to sleep soundly for a good two
hours of the early afternoon. On this afternoon, however, he broke his
custom. Joe and Ann had not been ten minutes away, when he appeared in
the kitchen door, his yellow hair tousled, his cheeks rosy, his plump
fists trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. His face was aggrieved,
because he had woke up and found himself alone. But at the sight of
Sonny the grievance was forgotten. He ran to the dog and began to maul
him joyously.

His recent bitter experience raw in his heart, Sonny did not dare
to respond, but lay with his nose on his paws, unstirring, while
the child sprawled over him. After a few minutes this utter
unresponsiveness chilled even the Kid's enthusiasm. He jumped up and
cast his eyes about in search of some diversion more exciting. His
glance wandered out past the barn and up the pasture toward the
edge of the forest. A squirrel, sitting on a black stump in the
pasture, suddenly began jumping about and shrilly chattering. This
was something quite new and very interesting. The Kid crawled
through the bars and started up the pasture as fast as his sturdy
little legs could carry him.

The squirrel saw him coming, but knowing very well that he was not
dangerous, held his ground, boun