the duration. He is other things as well, but the above should serve
as a general introduction.

In his capacity as special constable he keeps an eagle eye upon the
departing river steamers and the passengers purposing to travel in
them, his idea being to detect them in the act of attempting to export
opium without a permit, one of the deadly sins.

A little while ago Philip came into the possession of a dog of
doubtful ancestry and antecedents, but reputed to be intelligent.
It was called "Little Willie" because of its marked tendency to the
predatory habit. His other leading characteristic was an inordinate
craving for Punter's "Freak" biscuits.

One day Philip had a brain-wave. "I will teach Little Willie," he
said, "to smell out opium concealed in passengers' luggage, and I
shall acquire merit and the Superintendent of Imports and Exports
will acquire opium." So he borrowed some opium from that official and
concealed it about the house and in his office, and by-and-by what was
required of him seemed to dawn on Little Willie, and every time he
found a _cache_ of the drug he was rewarded with a Punter's "Freak"
biscuit.

At last his education was pronounced to be complete and Philip marched
proudly down to the Canton wharf with the Opium Hound. There was a
queue of passengers waiting to be allowed on board, and the ceremony
of the examination of their baggage was going on. Little Willie was
invited to take a hand, which he did in a rather perfunctory way,
without any real interest in the proceedings. Indeed, his attention
wandered to the doings of certain disreputable friends of his who had