directly responsible for their stress of feeling. He had been
eyeing alternately the Master and Wefers; tensely awaiting some
overt act or some word of permission which should warrant him in
launching himself on the intruder.

And now, it seemed, the whole thing was a game;--a game wherein
he himself had been invited to play a merry and spectacular part.
Joyously, he flew after the hurtling lump of steel and rubber.

The Master, facing the constable, did not see his pet's
performance. He took up the thread of speech where Wefers dropped
it.

"I don't know what the law does or doesn't empower you to do, in
such cases," he said, trying to force his way back to the earlier
semblance of calm. "But I doubt if it permits you to trespass on
my land, without a warrant or a court order of some sort; or to
shoot a dog of mine. And, until I find out the law in the matter,
you'll get off this place and keep off of it. As for the dog,
I'll be legally responsible for him; and I'll guarantee he'll do
no damage. So--"

Like Wefers, the Master came to an abrupt halt in his harangue.

For Lad was cantering gleefully toward him, carrying something
dark and heavy between his jaws. Straight to the Master came Lad.
Carefully, at the Master's feet, he laid the rusty pistol.

Then, stepping back a pace, he looked up, eagerly, into the
dumfounded man's face, tail waving, dark eyes aglint with