I felt very angry, and I wanted to fight all the dogs I saw ; but this new human was very strict, and we were all put in different places, and tied up so that we could not touch each other. The humans gave us plenty to eat, and then shut us up. I was tired and soon went to sleep, though frequently during the night I heard other dogs challenging me, and then I answered them back again. I did not hear or see anything of Jack.

Early next morning these new humans seemed to be in a great bustle; and when they came to fetch me and some other dogs, I then saw for the first time what a number of other dogs there were. We were all put into different sorts of square boxes and places, with not much room to turn round in, and I wondered what it all meant, and wished I could meet Jack, and ask for an explanation, but he was nowhere visible. I had a very good breakfast, and felt, on the whole, more amiable than the day before, especially as several humans had stopped to look at me, and admired me very much.

The dogs all round about me were of the same kind as myself, only not all the same colour. After a time we became friendly, and talked together about our different homes, and about London, which we all of us agreed in thinking a most uninteresting place. Presently we noticed that there was something unusual going on amongst a certain set of humans, and a quiet-looking retriever that had been to an exhibition before, told us to be on our best behaviour, as they were the judges coming round.

Jack had explained to me in the train about the judges, and so, when they came near me, I held myself up very grandly, and at the same time looked up at them very amiably, so as to

ingratiate them. They all seemed very much pleased with me, for they stayed a long time talking to me, and talking about me, and at last one of the humans said, "I think there can be no doubt about him," and they fastened up a great white ticket just above me. Now this was very ill-judged and inconsiderate of the humans, as I could not see what was on it; but I thought it was something satisfactory, as so many humans stopped to look at me.

I was beginning to feel very tired of being looked at, and I thought it might be very good fun for humans, but it was very dull work for dogs, when all at once I heard a well-known voice say, "Prize! first prize!" and, looking up, there I saw my dear young mistress, with a lot of other humans with her. It was no use for her to tell me to be quiet-why should I be? I had been quite long enough at this exhibition, and she was allowed to move about as she liked, and why was not I? At the same time, I must frankly confess that I felt greatly excited at hearing I had got first prize, and, that being the case, I thought everybody and everything ought to give way to me, and that I ought to be set free; but it was no use making a fuss, nobody attended to me, and after a little while Miss Kate said, "Good-bye, dear old Rex!" and passed on.

This was really too bad. We dogs began to mutiny by this time, for we had had quite enough of the exhibition, and we all wanted to go home.

Alas! it was no good wanting; we spent all that day and another dreary night there; and then at last I was fetched away, and taken back to the station, where I met Jack and Miss Kate. Miss Kate petted me very much, and gave me some

excellent biscuits, and then Jack and I were again put into that horrid little dark stable in the train; but I didn't mind it so much this time, as I knew we were going home.

Of course I told Jack that I was First Prize out of all those dogs, and that he must excuse me for feeling slightly conceited about it; but Jack took me down a little by saying there were a good many first prizes. This I did not believe, for it seemed so senseless; but I found out afterwards that Jack was right, and it was only another instance of the folly of humans.

Poor Jack was rather crestfallen, as he had only been "highly commended," and he laid it all to the accident in the wood.

I need hardly say that, when we arrived at the station, I was not long in running home. Miss Kate was so busy looking after her boxes, that I gave her the slip, and tore away home as hard as I could; and when I was some little distance from our house, I saw Tip coming to meet me, and I barked out, "Prize! first prize!" as loud as I could, and dear old unselfish Tip was so delighted, he gave several jumps into the air, and then ran on before me, spreading the good news far and wide. All the dogs and cats ran out to look at me, and I felt pretty much as I think a king must feel when he returns home from a victory.

CHAPTER X.

SOMETHING LIKE A PRIZE DOG.

THE next day Miss Kate called for Tip and me to accompany her into Dover, where, as usual, she was going to visit some friends.

We neither of us made any objection, for, as I have before mentioned, we always liked an expedition into Dover.

As I entered the town I held up my head very high, for I knew I was a prize dog, and I hoped that the Dover people knew it too; but I am afraid they did not, for they did not show me any particular attention. Tip told several of the humans whom we met, and also all the dogs; but the humans, as usual, did not understand, and the dogs seemed to be rather dull about the nature of an exhibition. At first I felt very much annoyed at their want of education, but Tip gently reminded me that it was not very long ago that I was equally ignorant about the matter; so I was not hard upon them, and several times I heard Tip explaining all about it; so by degrees the news spread, and I became quite a hero amongst them.

Miss Kate went to call on some friends, and left us on the Parade to amuse ourselves until she joined us. We had not long to wait, for she very soon came out again with two or three humans, and also an absurd little dog, something like Jack, only with yellow hair, called Lilla.

One of the humans to whom she belonged caught her up in her arms when she saw us, but Miss Kate assured her that we were very good-natured, and would not hurt the little thing, and she also added that I was a prize dog, and deserved my prize for my good temper quite as much as my beauty.

"Where is my prize?" I asked, and Tip put the same question over and over again; but in reply we were only told to be quiet and to be very kind to Miss Lilla.

We had no wish to be otherwise than kind to her, for she was evidently a silly little meaningless thing, who would have given in at once if we had felt her worth fighting; but that was out of the question, and we were far too polite to interfere with her in any way. She ran along beside us, only spoke little silly nothings, and sometimes fancied herself very lively, and barked at nothing, and of course, too, there was nothing in her bark; but she was quite harmless, and Tip and I did not speak to her more than we felt obliged in common courtesy.

The humans took it into their heads to walk on a place called a jetty, and they made us accompany them, though we did not see the fun of it.

Presently Miss Kate thought she would show off my talents, and she threw several bits of stick into the sea for me to fetch ; but I declined to go in for such paltry things, and I distinctly told her this, though she would not understand me. There were a great many little humans on the jetty, and they seemed so very much disappointed that I did not go into the water, that at last I felt obliged to jump in for once, just to please them. I have been always very fond of little humans, for they seem so fond of dogs, and are generally very kind to them, and then they are nice and lively, and run about, like dogs. The