above, redoubled their frenzied chirping; and made little futile
dashes at the collie's head.

Unheeding, Lad walked back to the Mistress and laid gently at her
feet the baby robin he had found. His keen teeth had not so much
as ruffled its pinfeather plumage. Having done his share toward
settling the bird's dilemma, Laddie stood back and watched in
grave interest while the Mistress lifted the fluttering infant
and put it back in the nest whence it had fallen.

"That makes the fifth baby bird Laddie has brought to me in a
month," she commented, as she and the Master turned back toward
the house. "To say nothing of two field mice and a broken-winged
bat. He seems to think I'll know what to do for them."

"I only hope he won't happen upon a newborn rattlesnake or
copperhead and bring it to you for refuge," answered the Master.
"I never saw another dog, except a trained pointer or setter,
that could handle birds so tenderly. He--"

The bumping of a badly handled rowboat, against the dock, at the
foot of the lawn, a hundred yards below, checked his rambling
words. Lad, at sudden attention, by his master's side, watched
the boat's occupant clamber clumsily out of his scow; then stamp
along the dock and up the lawn toward the house. The arrival was
a long and lean and lank and lantern-jawed man with a set of the
most fiery red whiskers ever seen outside a musical comedy. The
Master had seen him several times, in the village; and recognized
him as Homer Wefers, the newly-appointed Township Head Constable.
The Mistress recognized him, too, as the vehement official whose