“I say, what are you going to do?” cried his brother; “they’ll kill the poor little thing.”
“Oh no, they will not,” said Dick confidently. “I’m going to give them a lesson.”
The dogs came bounding up, having been driven away during the manufacture of the collar; and now, evidently under the impression that they were to kill the young leopard, they became in a high state of excitement.
“Oh, Dick!” cried Jack. “Mind what you are about.”
“Down, down, down!” cried Dick sternly; and the dogs all crouched, awaiting the order to attack. “Now, Rough’un, smell him.”
Rough’un sprang up, and Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus made a rush; but a tap each from the stick Dick held stopped them, and laying hold of Rough’un’s ear, Dick pushed the dog’s nose close to the vicious-looking little leopard.
“Now, sir, you’re not to touch him; do you hear?”
Rough’un evidently heard, and after smelling at the little animal, he looked up in a puzzled way at his master.
“Lie down, sir,” said Dick, and the dog obeyed. “Now, dogs! Pomp, Caesar, Cras, old boy.”
There was a volley of barks here, and the dogs evidently thought that their time had come; but a few stern words and a sharp tap or two from the stick made them perfectly obedient, and they contented themselves with sniffing at the little animal, which, on its part, finding that it was not molested by the dogs, left off its angry demonstrations, gave each one a gentle dab on the nose, and then rolled upon its back and began to play.