master's attention, he licked the hot hand that hung over the
side. Auld Jock lay still at last, not coughing any more, but
breathing rapid, shallow breaths. Just at dawn he turned his head
and gazed in bewilderment at the alert and troubled little
creature that was instantly upon the rail. After a long time he
recognized the dog and patted the shaggy little head. Feeling
around the bed, he found the other bun and dropped it on the
floor. Presently he said, between strangled breaths:

"Puir--Bobby! Gang--awa'--hame--laddie."

After that it was suddenly very still in the brightening room.
Bobby gazed and gazed at his master--one long, heartbroken look,
then dropped to all fours and stood trembling. Without another
look he stretched himself upon the hearthstone below the bed.

Morning and evening footsteps went down and came up on the
stairs. Throughout the day--the babel of crowded tenement strife;
the crying of fishwives and fagot-venders in the court; the
striking of the hours; the boom of the time gun and sweet clamor
of music bells; the failing of the light and the soaring note of
the bugle--he watched motionless beside his master.

Very late at night shuffling footsteps came up the stairs. The
"auld wifie" kept a sharp eye on the comings and goings of her
lodgers. It was "no' canny" that this old man, with a cauld in
his chest, had gone up full two days before and had not come down
again. To bitter complaints of his coughing and of his strange
talking to himself she gave scant attention, but foul play was
done often enough in these dens to make her uneasy. She had no