and animation. "I'll tie it round his neck?" "Get out, mun, you don't
know how it be done." "Is, I do, Charley." "Now, let me, gwaes, now
do let me." "You be sure he won't bite?" "He hain't mad, be he?" "Suppose
we were to tie up his mouth first?"

The puppy still fawned and curried favor, and wagged that sorry tail, and
lay down crouching on one side on the ground, sad and sorry in his heart,
but still with a little gleam of hope; for now and again he tried to
play, and put up his face, praying with those fond, friendly eyes. And
then at last his gambols and poor efforts for mercy ceased, and he lifted
up his wretched voice in one long dismal whine of despair. But he licked
the hand of the boy that tied the noose.

He was slowly and gently swung into the air as Lucian went by unheeded;
he struggled, and his legs twisted and writhed. The "healthy" boy pulled
the rope, and his friends danced and shouted with glee. As Lucian turned
the corner, the poor dangling body was swinging to and fro, the puppy was
dying, but he still kicked a little.

Lucian went on his way hastily, and shuddering with disgust. The young of
the human creature were really too horrible; they defiled the earth, and
made existence unpleasant, as the pulpy growth of a noxious and obscene
fungus spoils an agreeable walk. The sight of those malignant little
animals with mouths that uttered cruelty and filthy, with hands dexterous
in torture, and feet swift to run all evil errands, had given him a shock
and broken up the world of strange thoughts in which he had been
dwelling. Yet it was no good being angry with them: it was their nature
to be very loathsome. Only he wished they would go about their hideous
amusements in their own back gardens where nobody could see them at work;
it was too bad that he should be interrupted and offended in a quiet