than for a boy."

"I don't mind who else is called by it, uncle. Besides, sheepdogs
are very useful animals."

"They differ from boys in one marked respect, Bob."

"What is that, uncle?"

"They always attend strictly to business, lad. They are most
conscientious workers. Now, this is more than can be said for
boys."

"But I don't suppose the sheepdogs do much, while they are puppies,
uncle."

"Humph! I think you have me there, Bob. I suppose we must make
allowances for them both.

"Well, we shall be at Guildford in half an hour, and will stop
there for dinner. I shall not be sorry to get down to stamp my feet
a bit. It is very cold here, in spite of these rugs."

It was seven o'clock in the evening when the coach drew up at the
George Hotel, in Portsmouth. Captain O'Halloran was at the door to
meet them.

"Well, Mr. Bale, you have had a coldish drive down, today.

"How are you, Bob?"

"At present, I am cold," Bob said. "The last two hours have been
bitter."

"I have taken bedrooms here for you, Mr. Bale. There is no barrack
accommodation, at present, for everyone is back from leave. Any
other time, we could have put you up.

"Now, if you will point out your baggage, my man will see it taken
up to your rooms; and you can come straight on to me. Carrie has
got supper ready, and a big fire blazing. It is not three minutes'
walk from here."

They were soon seated at table and, after the meal was over, they
drew round the fire.

"So you have really become a man of business, Bob," his sister
said. "I was very glad to hear, from your letter, that you liked it
better than you expected."

"But it will be a long while, yet, before he is a man of business,
niece. It is like having a monkey in a china shop. The other day I
went down to the cellar, just in time to see him put down a bottle
so carelessly that it tumbled over. Unfortunately there was a row
of them he had just filled; and a dozen went down, like ninepins.
The corks had not been put in, and half the contents were lost
before they could be righted. And the wine was worth eighty
shillings a dozen."

"And what can you expect of him, Mr. Bale?" Gerald O'Halloran said.
"Is it a spalpeen like that you would trust with the handling of
good wine? I would as soon set a cat to bottle milk."

"He is young for it, yet," Mr. Bale agreed. "But when a boy amuses
himself by breaking out of school at three o'clock in the morning,
and fighting burglars, what