ink, now," she would mutter to herself, "that I'd be a-settin'
here day after day a-studyin' out a critter like that, what's no
more'n jest plain _fish_ says I, if he _do_ flop roun' the house an'
drink milk like a cat. He's right uncanny; but there ain't no denyin'
but what he's as good as a circus when he gits to playin' with Toby."

As Mrs. Barnes had a very good opinion of Toby's intelligence,
declaring him to be the smartest dog in Maine, she gradually imbibed a
certain degree of respect for Toby's friend. And so it came about that
the Pup acquired a taste which no seal was ever intended to
acquire--a taste for the luxurious glow of the kitchen fire.

When at last the real Atlantic winter had settled down upon the coast,
binding it with bitter frost and scourging it with storm, then Captain
Ephraim spent most of his time at home in his snug cottage. He had
once, on a flying visit to New York, seen a troupe of performing
seals, which had opened his eyes to the marvellous intelligence of
these amphibians. It now became his chief occupation, in the long
winter evenings, to teach tricks to the Pup. And stimulated by
abundant prizes in the shape of fresh herrings and warm milk, right
generously did the Pup respond. He learned so fast that before spring
the accomplished Toby was outstripped; and as for the canary,--an
aristocratic golden fellow who had come all the way from Boston,--Miss
Libby was constrained to admit that, except when it came to a question
of singing, her pet was "not in it" with her father's. Mrs. Barnes'
verdict was that "canaries seemed more natural-like, but couldn't
rightly be called so interestin'."

Between Libby and her father there was always a lot of gay banter
going on, and now Captain Ephraim declared that he would teach the Pup
to sing as well as the canary. The obliging animal had already
acquired a repertoire of tricks that would have made him something of
a star in any troupe. The new demand upon his wits did not disturb
him, so long as it meant more fish, more milk, and more petting.
Captain Ephraim took a large tin bucket, turned it upside down on the
floor, and made the Pup rest his chest upon the bottom. Then, tying a
tin plate to each flipper, he taught the animal to pound the plates
vigorously against the sides of the bucket, with a noise that put the
shrill canary to shamefaced silence and drove the yellow cat in
frantic amazement from the kitchen. This lesson it took weeks to