h, when the
faithful guard began to snarl at him and show his teeth.

"Why, you ungrateful beggar!" cried Dick; "I was going to give you a bit
of the chicken. Lie down, sir!"

But Snig would not lie down. He only barked the more furiously.

"Do you want me to kick you?" cried Dick.

Snig evidently did, for not only did he bark, but he began to make
charges at the visitor's legs so fiercely that Dick deemed it prudent to
stand still for a few moments.

"Now, then," he said, as the dog seemed to grow more calm; "just see if
you can't understand plain English!"

The dog looked up at him and uttered a low whine, accompanying it by a
wag of the tail.

"That's better!" cried Dick. "I'm going to pull you off a leg of that
chicken for yourself. Do you understand?"

Snig gave a short, friendly bark.

"Ah, now you're a sensible dog," said Dick, stooping down to pick up the
cloth in which the chicken was wrapped; but Snig made such a furious
onslaught upon him that the boy started back, half in alarm, half in
anger, and turned away.

"Won't he let you touch it, Mester Dick?" chuckled Hickathrift.

"No; and he may go without," said Dick. "Come along!"

They returned to the boat, Snig giving them a friendly bark or two as
they got on board; and directly after, with lusty thrusts, the
wheelwright sent the punt along in the direction of Dave's home.

The evening was still beautiful, but here and there little patches of
mist hung over the water, and the rich glow in the west was fast fading
out.

"I say, Mr Marston," said Dick, "you'll stay at our place to-night?"

"No; I must go home, thank you," was the reply.

"But it will be so late!"

"Can't help that, Dick. I want to be out early with the men. They came
upon a great tree trunk this afternoon, and I want to examine it when it
is dug out. Is that Decoy Dave's place?"

"That's it, and there's Chip!" cried Dick, as the boat neared the shore.
"You see how different he'll be!"

Dick was right in calling attention to the dog's welcome, for Chip's
bark was one of delight from the very first, and dashing down to the
water, he rushed in and began swimming rapidly to meet them.

"Why, Chip, old doggie!" cried Dick, as, snorting and panting with the
water he splashed into his nostrils, the dog came aside, and after being
lifted into the boat gave himself a shake, and then thrust his nose into
every hand in turn. "This is something like a dog, Mr Marston!"
c