A CAREFREE DOG
When he came racing up behind me with what was surely a broad smile on his face, I might have known that our acquaintanceship would not prosper. He was the sort of collie that has the devil in him and proved it by running through the farmyard and putting terror in the poultry as though a car had gone rushing past. I disowned him immediately. `Go home!' I commanded, but he apparently had no home. He refused to leave me, pretend- ing to take the scolding as praise. Off he went again, out across the field from the footpath. To my dismay I saw that he was now bringing sheep up, his tail whirling merrily as he sped at their heels, a mad creature if ever I saw one. I turned to hurry away and at that moment a voice from behind the hedge demanded, 'Is that your dog?' I -denied him like a shot. I went on as fast as I could, but beforel got to the road he was at my heels again. `Look,' I said, 'I have no time for irresponsibles. Get off!' This hurt his feel- ings. His tail went between his legs as he slunk away. I suppose he was losing faith in human nature for, after all, I had returned his friendly and foolish grin in the first place.
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