LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

TIP'S SECRET LARDER.

REX, SHAWL, GO FETCH

MR. HARRY CALLED HER VERY STERNLY TO COME BACK

I HAD SAVED THE PRINCESS'S LIFE

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Frontispiece.

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EVERY INCH A KING;

OR,

THE ADVENTURES OF REX AND HIS FRIENDS.

CHAPTER I.

66 EVERY INCH A KING."

I AM now living in Chester, but at the time my story begins my home was at a village in Kent, Ewell, near Dover, and the greater part of my life in fact has been spent there, so I have naturally a great attachment for the place. I will now try and remember all I can of my early life, but I daresay I shall often get a little confused about dates, as my memory is not so good as it was. The main facts, however, of my life at Ewell are vividly impressed on my memory, and not likely to be forgotten. To begin then. My name is "Rex,” a good name you will allow, and if you knew me you would say it is a very appropriate one, for I have a very royal, dignified appearance, in fact I am "every inch a king."

I left home when I was quite a tiny puppy, and was taken

to Ewell by my mistress, whom I learnt to know as Miss Kate. I did not remember anything about my parents, but I have since learnt that they were a very handsome old couple, and that in appearance I was thought like my mother. After I had been in Ewell a year perhaps or more, I curiously enough met a casual acquaintance, who knew all about my home, and who told me that I had had several brothers and sisters, but that she believed they were all dead except my brother Bob, who was living in Chester, and my sister Nettle, also settled somewhere in the same neighbourhood. She told me also that my parents were dead, but that she believed I had still an old aunt living in Chester, and she had often heard my brother Bob say how much he wished that he could see me again.

After hearing all this family news I used often to long to see my brother Bob, and my sister Nettle, and my old aunt; but there seemed to be no chance of it, and so after a time I resigned myself to my fate, and after all it was not a bad fate as times go. I will try and tell you something about it.

I am called a retriever (whatever that may mean), and I certainly was in those days, and I think am even now, a very handsome dog. I do not remember much about my puppyhood, but I believe I was very well cared for by my young mistress, and after I grew up I tried to repay her, by taking very great care of her.

When I first went to Ewell, I used to live in the house, but I very soon outgrew my position, and then I was promoted to a kennel out of doors, which I very much preferred, except when I was tied up. My spirit rebelled against that tyranny.

My young mistress soon began to understand me on that point, and I was consequently very seldom tied up, and whenever I was, I took it out in howling, which "humans" (as I call them by way of distinction) generally dislike very much, and so somebody generally came and released me.

Miss Kate (my mistress) has always been a very nice young lady, though, of course, she makes mistakes occasionally, as all humans do. In those days, however, she was particularly kind to me, and I was the same to her, and so we were very good friends. I used to take her out walking every day when it was fine, and used to look after her in every way, and, as a rule, she behaved very well, much better, I think, than most humans.

I do not think very much of humans as a whole,—I may be wrong, I am sometimes wrong, and I only give you my opinion for what it is worth. First of all as to appearance. It seems to me that they are sadly to be pitied for not having four legs, which makes them very slow in their movements, and they do not make the best use of the two nature has given them. As children they get on very well, and can run about, and almost keep pace with us; but as they grow older, they seem to forfeit this privilege, and to forget all about running, so that in my opinion they had better always remain young. It is such a glorious thing to scamper over the fields, and hedges and ditches; and sooner than be denied this privilege I wouldwell, I do not know exactly what I should do, probably die; but that subject requires consideration.

So much for the misfortune of having only two legs, and then as to the rest of their appearance. I think a human