than had ever been seen before, and
there was plenty more in the valley yet. All the hunters in the village
were getting ready to go there to hunt.

"Man-e-do was very angry. He caught the dog, and gave him the worst
whipping any dog ever had. 'I'll stop your tattling,' said he. And he
caught the dog by the tongue and pulled it nearly out of his mouth. Then
he shoved a round stick back into his mouth and tied his mouth shut over
it.

"He left the stick there for a long time. When he took it out, the dog's
mouth was larger, and his tongue longer than any dog's mouth and tongue
had ever been before.

"Since that time, all dogs have had big mouths and long tongues.

"But," added Old Klaws, "they don't tattle as much as they did before."

While Old Klaws had been telling this story, Old Boze had been lying in
the shade and resting. After a while, he thought to himself, "I'll give
that old mouser a scare and I'll do it before little Luke can hinder
me."

So he got up and walked silently around to the corner of the porch. With
one foot raised, he stopped scarcely three feet from Old Klaws, who was
sitting on the end of the top step.

Just as the old cat finished his story, Old Boze sprang toward him
with a loud, "Bow-wow-wow." The old cat bounded as if he were made of
India-rubber of the best quality. Such a cat-jump the little boy had
never seen before. The first leap carried Old Klaws far out on the
garden walk, and in the twinkling of an eye he was among the topmost
branches of the old pear tree. When he felt himself safe, he turned
round and began to spit and snarl and say bad words at Old Boze, who was
looking at him with his long tongue hanging out of his mouth, and his
face all wrinkled up into a broad grin.

Little Luke had jumped almost as lively as Old Klaws, but when he saw
who it was and took in the old cat's language, and the old dog's funny
looking face, he lay down on the porch and laughed till the tears came.

[Illustration]

XXXI. THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL DOG

"Dear Old Boze," said the little boy, after the fun was over, "can't you
tell me a story of the old days?"

"Yes," replied the old hound, "I can. And since Old Klaws has told you
about one dog, I'll tell you about another."

"Once upon a time," went on the old hound, "there was an Indian hunter
who had a dog that he loved very dearly. And the dog on his part loved
his master more than his own life.

"For many years, mast