"Oh, Tom! where did you get the nuts?"
"They were throwing 'em to a dancing monkey, and an old 'oman gave me a handful h'all to myself. I say, didn't I clutch 'em!"
"Well, let's crunch 'em up now," said Pepper, whose face had grown quite bright with anticipation.
"And give Trusty his bone," said Tom. "I picked it h'out o' the gutter, and washed it at the pump. 'Tis a real juicy bone—full o' marrow. Yere, old feller! Don't he move his lazy h'old sides quickly now, Pepper?"
"Yes," said Pepper, clapping his tiny hands.
CHAPTER II.
WHY HE WAS CALLED TRUSTY.
The two little boys and the dog ate their supper in perfect silence, the only noise to be heard during the meal being the crunching of three sets of busy teeth. Then, the fire being quite out, the children lay down on a dirty mattress in a corner of the room, and Trusty curled himself up at their feet.