e holding two long rods
in his hands, upon the ends of which were slices of bacon broiling
before the glowing coals. Suddenly he exclaimed:

"Look there, sergeant laddies! look there!" raising and pointing with
both sticks and the rashers of bacon towards the reed-grass behind
us.

There in its very edge sat Mistress Vic, winking her eyes and
twitching her ears deprecatingly, plainly in doubt as to her
reception.

"Stop, boys! keep quiet!" I said, to prevent a movement in her
direction. "Vic, you bad girl, how dared you follow me?"

No reply, only a slow closing and opening of the eyes and an
accompanying forward and backward movement of the ears.

"Go home! Go!"

The setter rose, dropped her head, and, turning dejectedly,
disappeared with drooping tail into the tall grass. Both boys
exclaimed at once:

"Don't drive her off, sir! Poor little Vic!"

"Well, go and see if you can coax her back. If she returns with you
she may go to La Paz."

The boys ran eagerly into the grass, and soon I heard them soothing
and pitying the dog, telling her that it was all right, and that she
could go. But it was evident she doubted their authority to speak for
me, for Henry presently came running towards me.

"She won't come, sir. Keeps moving slowly back in the direction of the
fort. She looks so sorry and so tired. Only think how badly she feels,
and it is a long distance to Whipple! Can't she stay with us until
morning?"

"Then she will not come with you?"

"No. She is your dog, and knows it. She never disobeys you."

"But she followed me here; that looks very much like disobedience."

"But you did not tell her not to come."

"I believe you are right. I forgot to tell her to stay."

"And she did not hear you tell the corporal to tie her, sir. You told
him in your room, and she was outside."

"Then you think she is not to blame for following us?"

"Of course not. She's a military dog, and always obeys orders."

"But how guilty she looked."

"It was not guilt made her look so, sir; it was disappointment."

"Yes, I think you are right, Henry. I'll let her go with us. Let us
try an experiment, and see if she understands ordinary conversation.
You know some people think dogs do."

"Yes, sir; I know Vic does."

"I'll speak to her without altering my tone of voice. Now watch.
'Here, Vicky, little girl, it's all right; you may go with us.'"

Out of the reeds, bounding in an ecstasy of delight, came Vic. She
spr