"They're always a little slower the first thing in the mornin'," Sam explained, "before they've run off some of their deviltry. They'll improve as they go along."
And improve they did. In the afternoon Sam took them out without the check-cord and kept perseveringly at them until they would "hie-on" and "to-ho" and "charge" and "heel" with reasonable promptness.
"By next week I hope to show you something more," said Sam.
"When will you shoot over them and teach them to point?" asked Ernest.
"Oh, not for some time yet," said Sam. "They've got to learn the a b c of it first. Next I shall try to teach them to answer my hand. First I'll call and wave at the same time, and then just wave. Then they've got to learn to range—to go whichever direction I want 'em to and turn when I want 'em to. Then I'll give 'em lessons in retrievin'."
But before another Saturday had come around, Sam had discovered something—something which affected the whole future career of Remus.
Ernest and Jack had duties to perform that Saturday which engaged them the entire morning, and they were unable to go up to Sam's until afternoon. Their visit was consequently a short one and they had but little time to spend with Sam in the field. They found, however, that the training had been progressing satisfactorily. Sam was allowing the dogs to range in ever widening circles, and on the whole they were obeying his commands in a promising manner. They were beginning to retrieve objects, also, not as a hit-or-miss game after the manner of Rags, but in answer to the commands "Go fetch it," and "Pick it up." Moreover, the dogs were less homesick now that they had begun to take an interest in their occupations and to become acquainted with the other dogs. They seemed to understand, too, that Ernest and Jack had not utterly deserted them but might be expected to appear at almost any moment.
But when it came time to go home Sam detained them for a moment.
"I've got to tell you something," said he, scratching his chin and looking a bit unhappy, "and I don't believe you'll like it much."
"Oh," cried Ernest, "can't you keep the dogs?"