le I poot some snoof t' her nose."

"Put what?" Mr. Brook asked.

"Joost a pinch of snoof, sir. I heard feyther say as snoof would make
dogs loose, and so I bought a haporth and carried it in my pocket, for
th' dogs don't moind oi when they are put oot. And then they gets horse
oop and I makes 'em come back to t' lock-oop, but maister Johnson," he
said, looking reproachfully at the constable, "wouldn't lock 'em oop as
I wanted him."

There was some laughter among the audience, and even the magistrate
smiled. The young men then gave their story. They denied point blank
that either of them had struck Jack, and described him as having set his
dog purposely on the horse. Jack had loudly contradicted them, shouting,
'That's a lee;' but had been ordered to silence. Then drawing back he
slipped off his jacket and shirt, and when the evidence was closed he
marched forward up to the magistrate bare to the waist.

"Look at moi back," he said; "that 'ull speak for itself."

It did; there was a red weal across the shoulder, and an angry hiss ran
through the court at the prisoners, which was with difficulty
suppressed.

"After what I have seen," Mr. Brook said, "there is no doubt whatever in
my mind that the version given by this child is the correct one, and
that you committed a cowardly and unprovoked assault upon him. For this
you," he said to the man who had driven the horse, "are fined L5 or a
month's imprisonment. It is a good thing that cowardly fellows like you
should be punished occasionally, and had it not been that your horse had
been severely injured I should have committed you to prison without
option of a fine. Against you," he said to the other, "there is no
evidence of assault. The charge against the child is dismissed, but it
is for the father to consider whether he will prosecute you for perjury.
At the same time I think that dogs of this powerful and ferocious kind
ought not to be allowed to go out under the charge of a child like
this."

The man paid the fine; but so great was the indignation of the crowd
that the constable had to escort them to the railway-station; in spite
of this they were so pelted and hustled on the way that they were
miserable figures indeed when they arrived there.

And so Jack was released from all charge of the "dorgs," and benefited
by the change. New friendships for children of his own age took the
place of that for the dogs, and he soon took part in their games, and,
from th