"'What's the matter, old fellow?' I said to him, when he set up
this dismal howl. 'Don't you want to have a swim? Well, you needn't
unless you like, only _I_ mean to have one; so down with you,
and let me get my clothes off.' But, instead of getting down, the
creature began to conduct himself in the most incomprehensible way,
first seizing me by the trousers with his teeth and pulling me to
the edge of the rock, as if he wanted me to plunge in dressed as I
was; then catching me again and dragging me back, much as though I
was a big rat that he was trying to worry; and this pantomime, I
declare, he went through three separate times, barking and whining
all the while, till I began to think he was going out of his mind.

"Well, God forgive me! but at last I got into a passion with the
beast. I couldn't conceive what he meant. For two or three minutes
I tried to pacify him, and as long as I took no more steps to get
my clothes off he was willing to be pacified; but the instant I
fell to undressing myself again he was on me once more, pulling me
this way and that, hanging on my arms, slobbering over me, howling
with his mouth up in the air. And so at last I lost my temper, and
I snatched up my gun and struck him with the butt-end of it. My
poor Rolf!" said Uncle Pick, all at once, with a falter in his
voice; and he stopped abruptly, and stooped down and laid his hand
on the great black head.

"He was quieter after I had struck him," said Uncle Dick, after a
little pause. "For a few moments he lay quite still at my feet, and
I had begun to think that his crazy fit was over, and that he was
going to give me no more trouble, when all at once, just as I had
got ready to jump into the water, the creature sprang to his feet
and flung himself upon me again. He threw himself with all his