Part 28 (2/2)

The Mistress, deposited at the front veranda, chirped to Lad; and started across the laard the chrysanthemuone--even to the latest thin stemmed Teplitz rose and the last stalk of rose-tinted cosuest roo was left but the ay the flower border at the crest of the lawn overlooking the lake Thither fared the Mistress, in search of blossoms

Between her and the chrysanthemum border was a bed of canvas Frost had s only a copse of brown stalks Out of this copse, chewing greedily at an uprooted bunch of canna-bulbs, slouched Roht of the Mistress, she paused in her leisurely progress and, with the bunch of bulbs still hanging fro truculently at the astonished woman

Now, Lad had not obeyed the Mistress's soft chirp It had not reached his dulling ears;--the ears which, of old, had caught her faintest whisper Yet, he would have followed her, as ever, without such summons, had not his nostrils suddenly become aware of an alien scent

Lad's sense of s, was far less keen than once it had been But, it was still strong enough to register the trace of intruders His hackles bristled Up went the classically splendid head, to sniff the light breeze, for further inforhter buthis head, to reinforce with his near-sighted eyes the failing evidence of his nostrils, he saw the sow ee from the canna-clump

He saw, too--or he divined--the look in her pale little red-rilared defiantly at the Mistress And Lad cleared the porch steps at one long leap

For the instant, he forgot he was aged and stout and that his joints ached at any sudden motion; and that his wind and his heart were not what they had been;--and that his once-terrible fangs were yellowed and blunt; and that his pri the Mistress That was all Laddie knew or cared With his wonted true, he sped toward her

The Mistress, recovering fro, noticed the bunch of canna-bulbs dangling from the sobry lips This very week all the bulbs were to have been dug up and taken into the greenhouse, for the winter Angered,--with all a true flower-lover's indignation,--at this desecrating of one of her beloved plants, she caught up a stick which had been used as a rose-prop

Brandishi+ng this, and crying ”Shoo!” very valiantly indeed, she advanced upon the sow

The latter did not stir; except to lower her bristling head an inch or so; and let drop the bunch of bulbs from between her razor-teeth The Mistress advanced another step; and struck at the beast

The sow veered, to avoid the blow; then, with ludicrous yet deadly swiftness, wheeled back and charged straight for the worown es; to be traed and torn to death, before help could coly foul jaws did not so much as touch the hem of the Mistress's dress

Between her and the sow flashed a swirl ofat full speed, crashed into the forward-lurching six-hundredweight of solid flesh and inch-thick hide

The i the breath out of hi and un-collielike attack In other days, he could have flashed in and out again, with the speed of light; leaving his antagonist with a slashed face or even a broken leg, as souvenir of his assault But those days were past His uncannily wise brain and his dauntless courage were all that remained of his ancient prowess And this brain and pluck told hie on the Mistress was to hurl himself full at her

His i's lurching rush; scarce enabled the frightened Mistress to recoil a step

Then, the soas lunging at her again, over the prostrate dog's body

But, even as he fell, Lad had gathered his feet under him And the shock which knocked him breathless did not n Before he sought to rise, up drove his bared teeth, at the sow that was plunging across him And those teeth clove deep into her pinkish nostrils;--well-nigh the only vulnerable spot, (as Lad knew) in her bristling pigskin arile old strength, he hung on; grinding the outworn fangs further and further into the sensitive nose of his squealing foe

This stopped the sow's i to one's tortured nose and that collie's teeth sunk deep into it, there is no scope for thinking of any other opponent She halted, striking furiously, with her sharp cloven fore-hoofs, at the writhing dog beneath her

One ferociously driving hoof cut a gash in Lad's chest Another tore the skin fro on The sow braced herself, solid, on outspread legs; and shook her head and forequarters with all her ht

Lad was hurled free, his weakened jaws failing to withstand such a yank Over and over he rolled, to one side; the sow charging after hi the Mistress Her flale the dog that had hurt her snout so cruelly And she rushed at hi lips

But, the collie, for all his years and unwieldiness, was still a collie And, by the ti to his feet Shrinking quickly to one side, as the sow bore down upon him, he eluded her rush, by the fraction of an inch; and made a wolflike slash for her underbody, as she hurtled by