emed to be without fear. If a small Dog came near, he would take
not the slightest notice; if a medium-sized Dog, he would stick his
stub of a tail rigidly up in the air, then walk around him, scratching
contemptuously with his hind feet, and looking at the sky, the
distance, the ground, anything but the Dog, and noting his presence
only by frequent high-pitched growls. If the stranger did not move on
at once, the battle began, and then the stranger usually moved on very
rapidly. Snap sometimes got worsted, but no amount of sad experience
could ever inspire him with a grain of caution. Once, while riding in a
cab during the Dog Show, Snap caught sight of an elephantine St.
Bernard taking an airing. Its size aroused such enthusiasm in the Pup's
little breast that he leaped from the cab window to do battle, and
broke his leg.

Evidently fear had been left out of his make-up and its place supplied
with an extra amount of ginger, which was the reason of his full name.
He differed from all other Dogs I have ever known. For example, if a
boy threw a stone at him, he ran, not away, but toward the boy, and if
the crime was repeated, Snap took the law into his own hands; thus he
was at least respected by all. Only myself and the porter at the office
seemed to realize his good points, and we only were admitted to the
high honor of personal friendship, an honor which I appreciated more as
months went on, and by midsummer not Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and Astor
together could have raised money enough to buy a quarter of a share in
my little Dog Snap.

II

Though not a regular traveller, I was ordered out on the road in the
autumn, and then Snap and the landlady were left together, with
unfortunate developments. Contempt on his part--fear on hers; and hate
on both.

I was placing a lot of barb-wire in the northern tier of States. My
letters were forwarded once a week, and I got several complaints from
the landlady about Snap.

Arrived at Mendoza, in North Dakota, I found a fine market for wire. Of
course my dealings were with the big storekeepers, but I went about
among the ranchmen to get their practical views on the different
styles, and thus I met the Penroof Brothers' Cow-outfit.

One cannot be long in Cow country now without hearing a great deal
about the depredations of the ever wily and destructive Gray-wolf. The
day has gone by when they can be poisoned wholesale, and they are a
serious drain on the rancher's profits.