would pretend not to know what was meant; but when the dog-whip came
across his back he would give such an appalling howl that his
chastisers would stop for very terror, lest he should wake up the rest
of his kind in the neighborhood.

Jinks did not know there were any of his own kind in the neighborhood.
As a matter of fact, he had never thought about himself at all, but,
having all he wanted in the shape of food and sport, had made himself
quite content and even happy. As he grew from babyhood he got more
mischievious still, and gave no end of trouble by eating and
destroying nearly all the grapes on the vines, and fruit on the trees
and bushes.

Then, one night he had a beautiful time. His master had tied him to
his kennel, as usual, and left him for the night, and Jinks was just
settling down to sleep, when he suddenly heard a rustling overhead in
the tall bushes. The rustling was caused by a silly chicken, who, in
some way or other, had lost its way, and was now so extremely unwise
as to go to roost over the head of a young jackal.

Jinks had never tasted chicken, great care having been taken about
this for many reasons; but, somehow, as soon as he found out what was
roosting just above him, he had an irresistible desire to get that
chicken and see how he tasted. Unfortunately, he was tied up, and his
master never allowed him a long rope; but Jinks, having once made up
his mind, was not going to allow a rope to stop him.

He therefore set to work in the most determined manner to break it,
stretching himself away from his kennel with all his might, but so
noiselessly--for he had all the cunning of his kind--that even the