But her ears pricked rebelliously upward, like those of her
earliest ancestors, the wolves. Nor could manipulation lure their
stiff cartilages into drooping as bench-show fashion demands. The
average show-collie's ears have a tendency to prick. By weights
and plasters, and often by torture, this tendency is overcome.
But never when the cartilage is as unyielding as was Lass's.

Her graceful head harked back in shape to the days when collies
had to do much independent thinking, as sheep-guards, and when
they needed more brainroom than is afforded by the borzoi skull
sought after by modern bench-show experts.

Wherefore, Lass had no hope whatever of winning laurels in the
show-ring or of attracting a high price from some rich fancier.
She was tabulated, from babyhood, as a "second"--in other words,
as a faulty specimen in a litter that should have been faultless.

These "seconds" are as good to look at, from a layman's view, as
is any international champion. And their offspring are sometimes
as perfect as are those of the finest specimens. But, lacking the
arbitrary "points" demanded by show-judges, the "seconds" are
condemned to obscurity, and to sell as pets.

If Lass had been a male dog, her beauty and sense and lovableness
would have found a ready purchaser for her. For nine pet collies
out of ten are "seconds"; and splendid pets they make for the
most part.

But Lass, at the very start, had committed the unforgivable sin