d were
soon sniffing respectfully about Tara's legs. For a moment the
mother of heroes felt, or pretended to feel, mere boredom; but as
the Master turned away to look at some distant object--a diplomatic
move upon his part this--Tara smiled broadly, stretched out her
fore-legs on the ground, exactly as a cat will when about to play,
and, again in cat-like fashion, began to spring about, around, and
over the half-fearful but wholly delighted puppies. When the Master
turned round again, the five of them, mother and four children,
were in the midst of the wildest sort of frolic, and impudent Finn
had actually reached the length of growling at his mother with
theatrical savagery, and leaping at the loose skin about her throat
with widely distended eyes and gaping jaws.

After this Tara spent most of her days in the orchard with the
pups. When tired of their frivolity, she would retire to the roots
of the oak tree and give them to understand that they were not to
bother her further, or she would leap the gate leading into the
garden, leaving her offspring gaping admiringly upon its orchard
side, and stroll into the Master's den for an hour or so. On one
occasion she opened a new vista of life before Finn and the others.
At the higher end of the orchard, nearest to the open downs, there
were a number of rabbit earths, and one morning, when the four pups
were frolicsomely following Tara in that direction, an unwary
rabbit allowed the dogs to get between himself and the earths. Too
late the rabbit started up from the leaf he had been nibbling, and
headed for his burrow. Tara bounded forward and cut off his
retreat. Wheeling then at a tangent, the rabbit flew toward the far
end of the orchard, where there was a gap in the fence. Tara was
after him like the wind, her puppies excitedly galloping in her
wake, yapping with delight. Half-way across the orchard Tara
overtook the bunny, and her great jaws closed upon the middle of
its body, smashing the spinal column and killing instantaneously. A
moment later and Finn was on the scene in a frenzy of excitement.
Tara drew back, eyeing the dead rabbit with lofty unconcern. Finn,
on the other hand, endowed the poor dead little beast with the
dangerous ferocity of a live tiger, and sprang upon it, snarling
and growling desperately. Round and round his head he whirled the
rabbit till his throat was half-choked with fur, and by that time
the other puppies butted in, each snatching a hold