o win him to the habit of standing
on his feet: it was obviously impossible to attempt anything with the
tail till this was achieved. So far, his attitude had been best
describable as that of the prone position. If anybody moved, he crouched
still lower; if he was persuaded to enter another room than the one he
had particularly taken to, he grovelled; if there was any sudden movement
or noise, he was terror-stricken; and, added to all this, it was obvious
that he could never be a watch-dog, for he refused to sleep alone.

Of course he ought to have gone back; and all these notions about
"bringing him round," giving him another chance and a happy life, were so
much high faluting rubbish.

In the face of such arguments, based, as they obviously were, on
universal testimony, even the faith of the person most nearly concerned
and wholly responsible must, it was judged, eventually give way.

But if counsels and opinions alike failed to alter the decision that had
been come to, they equally also supplied no answer to the momentous
question--how, seeing he was to be kept, was the confidence of this dog to
be won? There was hope in Dan, of course. He would teach him plenty of
things, and tell him much besides. A good deal of faith was placed in this
direction. But, even then, what about the general training? This dog would
run riot, be disobedient and unruly, hunt when and where he should not,
like other dogs before him, or even run sheep. If these things happened,
what was to be done? To thrash him would be almost an act of cruelty by a
dog of such a temperament: it might make him more nervous than ever, even
if he could be caught for the purpose and made to understand the rudiments
of cause and effect. Dan had learnt to "come and be thrashed," when such
was necessary and he was summoned in those most ominous of words. It might
be possible to teach Murphy in the same way: dogs, somehow or other, were
almost universally capable of differentiating between justice and
injustice, and bore no resentment. The reflection gave relief. Yet what
would be the effect upon this dog if Dan was in trouble and took to
shouting "Murder," as he usually did long before he felt the stick?

The problems were many, and grew in number the more the whole matter was
considered. Two things shaped themselves from the first: there must be
absolute fairness and justice; and, what was of no less importance, there
must never be any trace of loss of temper