Part 4 (2/2)
Instantly, Lad was on the alert The ga sterner lines He was to guard this plaything;--particularly fro so avidly for it
There was a sharp growl, a flash of fierce white teeth, a bound One of Lad's snowy little forepaas on the fallen pistol And the rest of Lad's sinewy body was crouching above it, fangs aglint, eyes blazing with hotar a deep slash fro eye-teeth And Lad, continued to ”watch” the pistol
The dog was having a lovely tiood collies respond in semi-psychic fashi+on to the moods of their masters
And, to Lad, the very at just noaves of stark excitehtful vanity which is a part of the collie make-up, he realized that in some manner he himself was a prominent part of this excitement And he reveled in it
As Wefers pulled back his imperiled arm, the Mistress stepped forward, before the Master could speak or et rabies by a bite fro, yesterday, were mad, that wouldn't affect Laddie For he didn't bite Laddie He never got the chance Lad pinned hiet up, you shot hirel's teeth never came within twelve inches of hi with a ly ”I saw 'eet bit I'ue over it I'm here to enforce the law of the sov'r'n State of Noo Jersey, County of P'saic, Townshi+p of--”
”But the law declares a prisoner innocent, till he's proved guilty,”
urged the Mistress, restraining the Master, by a light hand on his restless aruilty It isn't proved he was bitten, at all I can testify he wasn't My husband washed the scratch and he can tell you it wasn't , at a glance We can establish the fact that Lad was not bitten So even if the law lets you shoot a bitten dog,--which I don't believe it does,--it doesn't ehtly, ”if Lad hadn't sprung between that brute andto shoot ME! For I'd have been bitten, terribly, if Lad hadn't--”
”I'laring at the watchful dog and back at the man and woman, ”I came here in p'soot of my sworn dooty I been balked and resisted by the two of you; and 's been pract'c'lly sicked ontoto have the law on both of you, for int'fering with et a court order to shoot--”
”Then you haven't a court order or any other authority to shoot hiht hi you could bluff us into letting you do it, just because you happen to wear a tin badge! I thought so Now,faces; and you'll listen to me, a minute You aren't the first officer who has exceeded his authority on the chance that people will think he's acting within his rights This tial power to back hiro trespasser What you istrate to do about this, I don't know But, for the present, you'll clear out
Get that? I've warned you, in the presence of a witness If you know anything of law, you know that a landowner, after such warning,That's all”
Wefers sputtered wordlessly, fro the tirade But before its end, he fell silent and began to fidget He hihts of intrusion And, for the moment, he had no chance to execute his errand Later, aristrate's order, he could pay back with interest his hu In the rouchy surrender
The Master stooped; picked up the pistol, and held it in both hands
Lad, all eagerness, stood dancingly waiting for hiain
But it was not thrown Instead, the Master ”broke” the weapon; shaking the greasy cartridges out on to his own pal them to his pockets
”In case of accidents,” he explained, pleasantly, as he handed the pistol back to its scowling owner ”And if you'll stop at the post-office, this afternoon, you'll find these shells in an envelope in your letter-box Now, chase; unless you want Lad to escort you to your boat Lad is fine at escorting undesirables off the Place Want to see hi the i it back into his coattail pocket, he strode lakeward,lurid threats as he went
The Mistress watched his lank figure on its way down the lawn to the dock
”It's-it's AWFUL!” she faltered, clutching at her husband's aret leave to shoot Laddie, do you?”
”I don't know,” answered the Master, as uneasy as she ”Aeverybody into a fool panic There's no knohat sohty certain,”
he reassured her ”If the whole National Guard of New Jersey cooing to get Laddie I pro to prevent it But we're going to That's a pledge So you're not to worry”
As they talked they continued to watch the constable in his clu exit from the Place Wefers reached the dock, and stamped out to its extreme end, where was moored the livery scow he had coe
A light as blowing It had caught the scoide stern and had swung it out froly into the bottom Then, with ponderous uncertainty, he stepped fro-piece to the prow of his boat