"That's a new one on me," Skiff Miller remarked.

Walt and Madge stared at each other. The miracle had happened.
Wolf had barked.

"It's the first time he ever barked," Madge said.

"First time I ever heard him, too," Miller volunteered.

Madge smiled at him. The man was evidently a humorist.

"Of course," she said, "since you have only seen him for five
minutes."

Skiff Miller looked at her sharply, seeking in her face the guile
her words had led him to suspect.

"I thought you understood," he said slowly. "I thought you'd
tumbled to it from his makin' up to me. He's my dog. His name
ain't Wolf. It's Brown."

"Oh, Walt!" was Madge's instinctive cry to her husband.

Walt was on the defensive at once.

"How do you know he's your dog?" he demanded.

"Because he is," was the reply.

"Mere assertion," Walt said sharply.