Mahan greeted him joyously. Vivier stretched out a hand which
displayed temptingly the long-hoarded lump of sugar. A third man
produced, from nowhere in particular, a large and meat-fringed
soup-bone.

"I wonder which of you he'll come to, first," said the interested
Missourian.

The question was answered at once, and right humiliatingly. For
Bruce did not falter in his swinging stride as he came abreast of
the group. Not by so much as a second glance did he notice
Mahan's hail and the tempting food.

As he passed within six inches of the lump of sugar which Vivier
was holding out to him, the dog's silken ears quivered slightly,
sure sign of hard-repressed emotion in a thoroughbred collie,--
but he gave no other manifestation that he knew any one was
there.

"Well, I'll be blessed!" snickered the Missourian in high
derision, as Bruce passed out of sight around an angle of the
trench. "So that's the pup who is such a pal of you fellows, is
he? Gee, but it was a treat to see how tickled he was to meet you
again!"

To the rookie's amazement none of his hearers seemed in the least
chagrined over the dogs chilling disregard of them. Instead,
Mahan actually grunted approbation.

"He'll be back," prophesied the Sergeant. "Don't you worry. He'll