a brown badger-dog. An old man came out
of the house and touched his cap with a military salute. He wore the
short, light-gray cotton jacket which is the easy and comfortable
everyday dress of the country people along the Rhine, and he was
smoking a clay pipe, on which a sort of Ascension of Napoleon was
painted in glaring colors.

The tone and manner with which Roland presented his new friend to the
huntsman, showed that he knew how to take an imperious tone toward his
inferiors.

"Off with your cap," said he to the screamer; "only think, the captain
knew by their whimper how old and of what breed Nora's puppies were,
before he had seen them."

"Yes, one can do that," replied the screamer in a very loud voice, "one
can do that. Dogs have their own peculiar whine and bark, according as
they belong to a knowing or a stupid race; and stupid people, too, cry
and complain quite differently from smart ones."

He cast a pleased glance upon Eric, and held his pipe in his hand for
some time.

"You are right," said Eric. "I see you have had much experience and
reflection."

"May be so," answered the huntsman.

He led the way into his house, and when Eric asked what saint it was
whose picture hung on the wall, he replied, laughing,--

"That is my only saint, it is Saint Rochus of the mountain yonder, and
I like him because he has a dog with him."

There were many bird-cages in the room, and such a twittering and
confused singing, that one could hardly hear himself speak. The old man
was very happy in explaining to Eric how he taught birds that lived on
beetles and caterpillars to eat seeds, and how he got maggots and
weevils also, and he complained of Roland's want of interest in the
feathered tribe.

"No, I don't like birds," the boy declared.

"And I know why," said Eric.

"Do you? why then?"

"You have no pleasure in the free-flying creatures which you cannot
make your own, and you don't like them imprisoned either. You like dogs
because they are free and yet cling to us."

The dog-trainer nodded to Eric, as if to say, "You've struck the nail
on the head."

"Yes, I do like you!" cried Roland, who had two young spaniels in his
lap, while the mother stood by and rubbed her head against his side,
and the other dogs crowded round.

"Envy and jealousy," said Eric, "are striking characteristics of dogs.
As soon as a man caresses one, all the rest want to share the favor."

"There's one that doesn't trouble hi