mference was made
by the golden gambols of our infatuated puppy. Around and around her he
would caper, while she yawned and scratched--she was always a vulgar
old thing--and took her exercise by proxy. We did not allow Nellie
inside the house, to Sigurd's grieved surprise, but his dinner-dish was
regularly set out of doors, by the back steps, and Nellie, every now
and then, when her own rations had not been satisfactory or when Sigurd
had peculiarly toothsome viands on his plate, would take advantage of
his chivalry to play on him a low-down trick. Out of sight on the other
side of the house, she would raise a wail of feigned distress,
whereupon our gallant Volsung, just in the first enjoyment of his food,
would lift his head, listen, even drop the piece of meat in his mouth
and speed away to her rescue, running down one hill and up another in a
vain endeavor to discover the villain of whom she had complained.
Meanwhile Nellie, puffing with detestable delight, would waddle around
to the doorsteps and gobble up the best of Sigurd's dinner. When she
heard him bounding back, she discreetly shuffled off, so that Sigurd's
ideal remained unspotted. Dear, faithful lad! To the last of her
disgraceful days, he was old Nellie's champion and dupe.

All the while his development was going on apace. When he came to us he
was already, like his brothers and sisters, proficient in giving the
right paw, and could also, under protest, stand on his hind legs in a
corner and "go roly-poly," a senseless performance, that he detested,
on floors, but a natural and joyful gymnastic on the grass. He soon
added to these accomplishments the agile arts of jumping over a stick
and leaping through a hoop, though his tribulations with the hoop were
many. He would brandish it over his head, run with it and trip in it,
get his legs and body all wound up in it, and finally throw himself
upon it and bite it into docility. He readily learned to catch, but his
tastes were not extravagant and he would disdainfully drop in the
thickets the rubber balls that were bought for him and grub up for
himself some crooked branch or tough old chip that suited his purpose
better.

Being educators ourselves, we did not think much of education as such
and gave little attention to teaching him artificial tricks.
Joy-of-Life was in favor of vocational training and decided that he
must learn to guard. Her efforts nearly achieved success. For one proud
fortnight Sigurd wou