hard that the Master couldn't hold me. When I get to the gate Miss
Dorothy snatches me up and kisses me between the ears, right before
millions of people, and they both hold me so tight that I didn't know
which of them was carrying of me. But one thing I knew, for I
listened hard, as it was the Judge hisself as said it.

"Did you see that puppy I gave 'first' to?" says the Judge to the
gentleman at the gate.

"I did. He was a bit out of his class," says the gate-gentleman.

"He certainly was!" says the Judge, and they both laughed.

But I didn't care. They couldn't hurt me then, not with Nolan holding
the blue ribbon and Miss Dorothy hugging my ears, and the kennel-men
sneaking away, each looking like he'd been caught with his nose under
the lid of the slop-can.

We sat down together, and we all three just talked as fast as we
could. They was so pleased that I couldn't help feeling proud myself,
and I barked and jumped and leaped about so gay, that all the bull-
terriers in our street stretched on their chains, and howled at me.

"Just look at him!" says one of those I had beat. "What's he giving
hisself airs about?"

"Because he's got one blue ribbon!" says another of 'em. "Why, when I
was a puppy I used to eat 'em, and if that Judge could ever learn to
know a toy from a mastiff, I'd have had this one."