and sat
close to him, resting his big head on the captain's knee.

"Is that the dog that was stolen?" one of the visitors asked at last.

"Yes," replied the captain. "This is Prince Jan. He was sent to the
pound almost dead with mange and orders through the stableman that the
dog was to be killed because he was vicious. But," the poundmaster
smiled down at the dog that was gazing with loving eyes into his face,
"you see, all he needed was kind treatment and proper care."

"I understand, Smith," the other man now spoke in a voice that sounded
cross to Jan, "that you are violating the City ordinances, and are
keeping the dogs that are brought to the pound. They are sent here to be
killed, not kept."

"I find homes for them all," the old man hastened to say, "and it only
takes a short time to find people who will give them good homes. Not one
of the dogs that has been brought here since I had charge has been
vicious. Those that seemed dangerous at first grew gentle and kind as
soon as they found no one would hurt them."

"Of course, we know how you feel about them, but the City hires you to
kill the dogs if their owners do not claim or want them. People complain
that you keep the dogs and feed them at the public expense. We can't
have that, you know."

Captain Smith rose, and the hand he held out suddenly toward the two men
was trembling. "I don't know who told you that," he said earnestly, "and
I don't believe that whoever did say it meant to tell an untruth, but
the only dogs that are fed at public cost are those for which I am
allowed money. After any dog has been with me for more than a week, I
pay for his food myself."

The two strange men looked at each other and were silent a few minutes.
Finally one of them spoke again,

"I'm sorry, Smith, but you will have to get rid of the dogs. The pound
is not a boarding place for stray dogs, and the fact that you pay for
their feed after a certain time does not change matters."

The old man sat down in his chair as though he were very tired, and
stared at the floor until he felt Jan's nose, and then he looked into
the dog's sympathetic eyes. The wrinkled hand twitched, but the old
man's kindly face turned to the other man.

"I know you can't change the law," he said slowly, "but if you could let
me have a little more time, I can find homes for all the dogs that are
here now. There are only ten, beside Prince Jan, and he belongs to me.
See"--he pushed aside the thi