“Here, you let him alone!” growled Don to the big dog.
“Why should I let him alone?” asked the big dog, growling and showing his teeth.
“Because he’s a friend of mine,” said Don.
“Oh, well,” answered the bad dog, “in that case it’s different. I didn’t know he was a friend of yours. Of course I’ll let him alone.”
“You’d better,” growled Don. Of course the little dog was not really a friend of Don’s, for he had never seen him before, but Don thought it best to speak that way, for he did not want to see the little dog hurt.
And when the bad dog had gone off in a corner of the pound, the little silky poodle, who had been in the same wagon with Don, came up to him, and said:
“It was very kind of you to take my part that way. I am very much obliged to you. It was nice to tell him I was your friend,” and he wagged his tail in a friendly fashion.
“Oh, that’s all right,” said Don, as he limped to a shady place to lie down.