es of the dogs that were to act on it,
and Dash heard him read it to Hal and May.

The name of the play was:

THE DEATH OF POOR JACK,
THE RUN-A-WAY.

JACK, FRISK.
COL. GRAPE-SHOT, TRIP.
THE GUARD, TRAY AND WASP.
JACK'S MAM-MA, FAN.
THE SEXTON, SNAP.
THE JUDGE, SHORT.

Dash, when he found Frisk was to act, scarce drew a breath for fear he
should lose a bit of the play, and sat so still that not a hair moved.

First, in came two dogs on their hind-legs as the guard, in red coats
and caps and blue pants. They had guns too; and they had such an odd
look with their own tails up in the air out-side their coat-tails, and
their head held as stiff as ram-rods to keep their caps on, that all
the folks burst out in a laugh.

Then the guard did peep round all the trees, and in all the holes they
could find, on a hunt for Jack; and when they did not find him, they
shook their heads as if to say: "No one here! that's a fact!"

At last one of the guard went to rap at the door of the house. He gave
such a hard knock, that he shook his cap down on one eye, and had to
hold his head on one side, as if he had the tooth-ache, so as to see
at all. It made him feel so bad, that he went off in a pet to the back
of the stage, and left the guard whose cap was all right to knock for
him-self. This one was so short, that he had to make a jump and stand
on tip-toe to do it.

Out came a dog in the dress of an old dame, who, Mr. Grey said, was
Jack's mam-ma. She wore a black gown, a white cap, and plaid shawl,
and had a work-bag on her arm, or fore-leg, and a big pair of specs
tied on her nose. When she saw the guard, she spread out her paws, and
gave each a look in turn, as if to ask what they came there for.

The short guard made signs to her, to show they were on a hunt for a
man who had left the camp with-out leave. The old dame shook her head
at this, and put a paw on her heart, as if to say _she_ hadn't heard
of such a thing; but the one-eyed guard shook _his_ head too, and did
point thro' the door, as much as to say that the man was in _there_,
he was sure. Then the old dame shook her head once more, and spread
her skirt to keep them out of the house; but the guard were too smart
for that. They aimed their guns at the wall of the house, to shoot
Jack if he was in-side; and when the o