him."

"Oh! he will be all right, I daresay," said George, rather sulkily;
for, with the exception of Snarleyow, in whose fiendish temper he
found something refreshing and congenial, he liked no dogs. "But you
must be careful, or Snarleyow, _my_ dog, will give him a hammering.
Here, good dog, good dog," and he attempted to pat Aleck on the head,
but the animal growled savagely, and avoided him.

"I never knew him do that before," ejaculated Arthur, in confusion,
and heartily wishing Aleck somewhere else. "I suppose he has taken a
dislike to you. Dogs do sometimes, you know."

Next second it struck him that this was one of those things that had
better have been left unsaid, and he grew more uncomfortable than
ever. But at this very moment the situation was rendered intensely
lively by the approach of the redoubtable Snarleyow himself, who,
having snapped at the horse's heels all the way to the stables, had on
his return to the front of the house spotted Aleck from afar. He was
now advancing on tiptoe in full order of battle, his wicked-looking
teeth gleaming, and his coat and tail standing out like an angry
bear's.

Arthur, already sufficiently put out about the dog question, thought
it best to take no notice; and even when he distinctly heard George
quietly "sah" on his dog as he passed him, he contented himself with
giving Aleck a kick by way of a warning to behave himself, and entered
into some desultory conversation with Philip. But presently a series
of growls behind him announced that an encounter was imminent. Looking
round, he perceived that Snarleyow was standing over the bull-dog, of