rry to have made my
peace with my only enemy, I stepped up the ladder with a light heart and
a firm courage.

I little knew what need I had for both! When Jarasch had put his arm
around my neck, I did not know that he had inserted his hand beneath the
collar of my shirt, and drawn a long streak of blood from his own vein
across my back between my shoulders. When I arrived on deck, it was to
receive the congratulations of the crew, who were all struck with my
muscular arms and legs, and who unanimously pronounced that I was far
fitter to exercise the whelps than was the Moor.

Sir Dudley said nothing. A short nod greeted me as I came towards
him, and then he waved me back with his hand,--a motion which, having
something contemptuous in it, pained me acutely at the moment. I had not
much time, however, to indulge such feelings. The whelps were already on
deck, and springing madly at the wooden bars of their cage for liberty.
Eager as themselves, I hastened to unbolt the door and set them free.

No sooner were they at large than they set off down one side of the
deck and up the other, careering at full speed, clearing with a bound
whatever stood in their way; and when by any chance meeting each
other, stopping for an instant to stare with glaring eyes and swelling
nostrils; and then, either passing stealthily and warily past, or one
would crouch while the other cleared him at a spring, and so off again.
In all this I had no part to play. I could neither call them back, like
Jarasch, whose voice they knew, nor had I his dexterity in catching them
as they went, and throwing all manner of gambols over and upon them, as
he did.

I felt this poignantly, the more as I saw, or thought I saw, Sir
Dudley's eyes upon me more than once, with an expression of disdainful
pity. At last, the great tub which contained the creatures' food
was wheeled forward; and no sooner had the men retired than the
quick-scented animals were on the spot,--so rapidly, indeed, that I
had barely time to seat myself, cross-legged, on the lid, when they
approached, and with stately step walked round the vessel, staring as it
were in surprise at the new figure who disputed their meal with them.

At last, the male placed one paw on the lid, and with the other tapped
me twice or thrice on the shoulder with the kind of gentle, pattering
blow a cat will sometimes use with a mouse. It was a sort of mild
admonition to "leave that," nothing of hostility whateve