Part 15 (1/2)

”I'll need to use this later on,” said he, ”and they've got to get used to the feel of it first. They've got to learn to stand it without pullin', and to answer the signals.”

Again he exhibited extraordinary patience, for the dogs resented this unaccustomed restraint and seemed possessed to pull at their leads and try to break away. It took a good two hours to break them to this simple harness. Then Sam took it off and went all over the first lesson again, which at first the dogs appeared to have forgotten.

”Well, as the minister says, here endeth the first lesson,” said Sam when the shadows of late afternoon began to lengthen, and they turned back again toward the shack. The boys now realized that they were very tired.

”Do you think they'll ever learn?” asked Jack, somewhat plaintively.

”Why, sure,” said Sam. ”I've seen worse ones than these. They're high spirited, as good dogs ought to be, and a bit heady, but they'll learn. They've done very well, so far.”

Still doubting, but somewhat encouraged, the boys prepared to take their departure. In order that the training might go on uninterrupted it was necessary to leave Romulus and Remus in Sam's care, and it is a question which felt the worse about the separation, the boys or the dogs. Ernest and Jack knew that their pets would be in good hands and kindly treated, but it was hard to say good-by. As for the dogs, they set up a howling and crying, when they found they were being deserted.

”They'll soon get over that,” said Sam. ”They'll begin to take an interest in the other dogs pretty soon, and then they'll feel more at home.”

Thus rea.s.sured, the boys started off down the road without their four-footed comrades, but the insistent wails that followed them were very heart-rending, and two big tears rolled down Jack's round cheeks.

And it was several days before they could get used to the desolate, deserted look of Rome or become reconciled to the absence of their playmates.

They could hardly wait for the next Sat.u.r.day to come, when they could go up again to Sam's shack and visit their beloved dogs. Romulus and Remus were overjoyed at seeing them again, and it was some time before Sam could get them quieted down sufficiently to take them out for another lesson. He had been training them during the week, and the boys now heard him addressing them with strange words. He placed their check-cords on again, and this time the dogs did not seem to resent it so much. Indeed, they seemed to look upon it as the preliminary of a good time, which, as Sam explained, was the idea he had tried to impress on them.

”Hie-on!” cried Sam, and the dogs started off at a bound.

”To-ho!” he called. This meant to stop abruptly, and this command the dogs, hoping for a good run, did not obey so readily. A quick tug at the check-cord reminded them of the meaning of the command, and soon they stopped more promptly at the words.

”Come in,” said Sam, and the dogs approached him.

”Charge!” said Sam. ”Down!” After several attempts the dogs reluctantly obeyed and crouched at his feet.

”Heel!” he cried, and after several repet.i.tions of the order they took their places quietly behind him.

”They're always a little slower the first thing in the mornin',” Sam explained, ”before they've run off some of their deviltry. They'll improve as they go along.”

And improve they did. In the afternoon Sam took them out without the check-cord and kept perseveringly at them until they would ”hie-on”

and ”to-ho” and ”charge” and ”heel” with reasonable promptness.

”By next week I hope to show you something more,” said Sam.

”When will you shoot over them and teach them to point?” asked Ernest.

”Oh, not for some time yet,” said Sam. ”They've got to learn the a b c of it first. Next I shall try to teach them to answer my hand. First I'll call and wave at the same time, and then just wave. Then they've got to learn to range--to go whichever direction I want 'em to and turn when I want 'em to. Then I'll give 'em lessons in retrievin'.”

But before another Sat.u.r.day had come around, Sam had discovered something--something which affected the whole future career of Remus.

Ernest and Jack had duties to perform that Sat.u.r.day which engaged them the entire morning, and they were unable to go up to Sam's until afternoon. Their visit was consequently a short one and they had but little time to spend with Sam in the field. They found, however, that the training had been progressing satisfactorily. Sam was allowing the dogs to range in ever widening circles, and on the whole they were obeying his commands in a promising manner. They were beginning to retrieve objects, also, not as a hit-or-miss game after the manner of Rags, but in answer to the commands ”Go fetch it,” and ”Pick it up.”

Moreover, the dogs were less homesick now that they had begun to take an interest in their occupations and to become acquainted with the other dogs. They seemed to understand, too, that Ernest and Jack had not utterly deserted them but might be expected to appear at almost any moment.

But when it came time to go home Sam detained them for a moment.

”I've got to tell you something,” said he, scratching his chin and looking a bit unhappy, ”and I don't believe you'll like it much.”

”Oh,” cried Ernest, ”can't you keep the dogs?”