But the youngster refused to commit himself. He just smiled and smoked, and it seemed as though in his suffering he was half happy. I smoked, too. We smoked together. The silence startled Captain, for the clock struck, and yawning, he arose, trotted to my side, and with one leap he brought his ponderous paws into my lap.
You can trust your dog. He never fails you.
"Well, old chap," I said, as I scratched his nose ever so gently, "you at least have no one to think of but me and Tim there, eh?"
[Illustration: "Well, old chap!">[
"No," cried Captain heartily.
That was not the exact word that he used, but he expressed it by beating his tail against the table and giving a long howl.
"And if Tim, there, goes dawdling after a woman, we shall stick to the ridges, and the foxes, and the rabbits. We can't go as fast as we used to, Captain, but we can go together, eh?"
"The same as ever and the same forever," cried Captain.