“’I am a-calling ‘im off,’ ses Bob, looking very puzzled.  ’Didn’t you ’ear me?  It’s you making that noise that excites ’im, I think.  P’r’aps if you keep quiet he’ll leave go.  Come off, Joseph, old boy, there’s a good doggie.  That ain’t a bone.’

“’It’s no good talking to ‘im like that,’ ses Mr. Bunnett, keeping quiet but trembling worse than ever.  ‘Make him let go.’

“’I don’t want to ‘urt his feelings,’ ses Bob; ’they’ve got their feelings the same as wot we ’ave.  Besides, p’r’aps it ain’t ’is fault—­ p’r’aps he’s gone mad.’

“‘Help!’ ses the old gen’leman, in a voice that might ha’ been heard a mile away.  ‘Help!’

“‘Why don’t you keep quiet?’ ses Bob.  ’You’re on’y frightening the pore animal and making things worse.  Joseph, leave go and I’ll see whether there’s a biskit in my pocket.  Why don’t you leave go?’

“’Pull him off.  Hit ‘im,’ ses Mr. Bunnett, shouting.

“‘Wot?’ ses Bob Pretty, with a start.  ’Hit a poor, dumb animal wot don’t know no better!  Why, you’d never forgive me, sir, and I should lose the gold watch besides.’

“‘No, you won’t,’ ses Mr. Bunnett, speaking very fast.  ’You’ll ’ave as much chance of it as ever you had.  Hit ‘im!  Quick!’

“’It ’ud break my ‘art,’ ses Bob.  ’He’d never forgive me; but if you’ll take the responserbility, and then go straight ’ome and give me the gold watch now for kindness to animals, I will.’

“He shook his ‘ead with sorrow and made that sucking noise agin.’

“’All right, you shall ‘ave it,’ ses Mr. Bunnett, shouting.  ’You shall ‘ave it.’

“‘For kindness to animals?’ ses Bob.  ‘Honour bright?’

“‘Yes,’ ses Mr. Bunnett.

[Illustration:"Bob Pretty lifted ’is foot and caught Joseph one behind that surprised ’im.”]

“Bob Pretty lifted ’is foot and caught Joseph one behind that surprised ’im.  Then he ’elped Mr. Bunnett look at ’is leg, and arter pointing out that the skin wasn’t hardly broken, and saying that Joseph ’ad got the best mouth of any dog in Claybury, ’e walked ’ome with the old gen’leman and got the watch.  He said Mr. Bunnett made a little speech when ’e gave it to ’im wot he couldn’t remember, and wot he wouldn’t repeat if ’e could.

“He came up to this ’ere Cauliflower public-’ouse the same night for the money ’e had won, and Bill Chambers made another speech, but, as Smith the landlord put’ in outside for it, it didn’t do Bob Pretty the good it ought to ha’ done.”