he night to the presence of wolves that
had come prowling down from the hills, he set off cautiously, with the
thick, dense hair bristling up about his neck, his armour against his
deadly enemy's teeth, and his black gums retiring to display his
trap-like jaws full of glistening ivory teeth. And all the time, in
spite of his efforts, there was a low, deep sound like young thunder
rumbling somewhere in his chest.

But in each case, before he had gone far, Lupe's reason told him that
his natural enemies did not come prowling down from the mountains during
the soft summer nights, but waited till their hunger was sharpened by
the frosts of winter, and that he was over-anxious regarding the safety
of those he had come so far to find, judging rightly that the sounds he
had heard and magnified were only caused by some innocent little animal
which did not smell in the least like a wolf. So he trotted slowly
back, making sounds suggestive of mutterings against his own stupidity,
and dropped quietly down once more to watch.

"Why, Serge," cried Marcus, "how could that dog manage to find us all
this distance from home?"

"I dunno," said the old soldier, stooping down to caress the
savage-looking beast in his customary way, which was to bang him heavily
on both shoulders with his great, horny hand, the blows given being such
as would have made an ordinary dog howl; but their effect upon Lupe was
to make him half close his eyes, open his wide jaws, and loll out his
long, lambent tongue, which curled up at the end; and, as it quivered in
the fresh morning light, he rolled over upon his back and began patting
playfully at Serge's hand.

"Don't knock him about like that, Serge," cried Marcus.

"Knock him about?" cried the old soldier. "Why, he likes it; it loosens
his skin and makes it fit easy, and knocks out the dust. How did he
manage to find his way here? Ask him. I dunno. I left him at home,
yelping about and uneasy like, looking as if he'd like to go at the
general and tear his toga off his back."

"I left him," cried Marcus, "hunting all over the place to find you. He
came twice over into my room, whining and asking me where you were."

"Did he?" cried Serge. "Good old dog!" And he gave the animal a few
more of his tender caresses, with the result that the dog wriggled
himself along snake-like fashion upon his spine, and then made a playful
dab at his friend's hand.

"I found him at last," continued Marcus, "i