Crusoe bounded to his master’s side, and looked up in his face.
“Look at this place, pup; smell it well.”
Crusoe instantly set off all round among the willows, in and out, snuffing everywhere, and whining with excitement.
“Come here, good pup; that will do. Now, lads, we’ll go back.” So saying, Dick and his friends left the bluff and retraced their steps to the camp. Before they had gone far, however, Joe halted, and said—
“D’ye know, Dick, I doubt if the pup’s so cliver as ye think. What if he don’t quite onderstand ye?”
Dick replied by taking off his cap and throwing it down, at the same time exclaiming, “Take it yonder, pup,” and pointing with his hand towards the bluff. The dog seized the cap, and went off with it at full speed towards the willows, where it left it, and came galloping back for the expected reward—not now, as in days of old, a bit of meat, but a gentle stroke of its head and a hearty clap on its shaggy side.
“Good pup, go now an’ fetch it.”
Away he went with a bound, and, in a few seconds, came back and deposited the cap at his master’s feet.
“Will that do?” asked Dick, triumphantly.
“Ay, lad, it will. The pup’s worth its weight in goold.”