she hesitated about touching anything with such claws in it as the paw he
gravely presented.

But as he continued to hold it out she felt it would be impolite not to
respond in some way, so reaching out very cautiously she gave it a limp
shake. Then as he still kept looking at her with questioning eyes she
asked quite as if she expected him to speak, "What's your name, Dog?"

A voice from the top of the steps answered, "It's Captain Kidd." Even
more startled than when the dog had claimed her attention, she glanced up
to see a small boy on the highest step. He was sucking an orange, but he
took his mouth away from it long enough to add, "His name's on his collar
that he got yesterday, and so's mine. You can look at 'em if you want
to."

Georgina leaned forward to peer at the engraving on the front of the
collar, but the hair on the shaggy throat hid it, and she was timid about
touching a spot just below such a wide open mouth with a red tongue
lolling out of it. She put her hands behind her instead.

"Is--is he--a pirate dog?" she ventured.

The boy considered a minute, not wanting to say yes if pirates were not
respectable in her eyes, and not wanting to lose the chance of glorifying
him if she held them in as high esteem as he did. After a long meditative
suck at his orange he announced, "Well, he's just as good as one. He
buries all his treasures. That's why we call him Captain Kidd."

Georgina shot a long, appraising glance at the boy from under her dark
lashes. His eyes were dark, too. There was something about him that