The other morning Dr. Hall came to see me; and, as usual in his walks about town, Ned accompanied him. The doctor is a friend of mine, and Ned is a great friend of Master Frisky's. He was in the orchard catching grasshoppers,—a favorite amusement of his puppy days; but his sharp eyes espied the doctor and Ned long before I did, and he ran with joyous barks to meet them.
Ned and he at once rubbed noses, which means in dog language, "How do you do?" and Master Frisky then took charge of his caller, and entertained him with so much ceremony that the doctor and I forgot our own visiting, and spent the time watching the dogs.
First Frisky led Ned very proudly to a new kennel that I had just built for him. The kennel was made like a small house, with sloping roof and a real door, which was always kept open in summer; but a dog could open and shut it in winter, and this kept his house warm.
Master Frisky paused in front of his kennel, and with many wags of his tail invited Ned to try it, which he did, while his host lay outside. When Ned had lain in the comfortable house for a few minutes, he came out and stood at the side, as much as to say, "It is very nice; now you try it a while yourself."
To please his friend, Frisky went into the new house for a minute, but soon came out and showed Ned about the barn, which was a favorite playground of his.
Together they trotted side by side to the chicken coop, and looked in at the chickens. Next the pigs were called upon, and their acquaintance made through a crack in the pen; and finally they went to the stable. The cows shook their horns vigorously at Ned; but Master Frisky told him they were tied, and he did not mind.
The dove-cote, the corn-house, and the ice-house were all visited in turn; and finally, with much more cordiality than he had yet shown, Frisky led the way to the garden. Here Ned lay down upon the grass, while Frisky began to dig in the loose dirt.
Soon he uncovered a bone that I had seen the butcher give him only that morning; and after looking at it longingly, he stepped back, and with many wags of his tail, and a broad smile upon his funny little face, invited his friend to dinner.
Ned fairly laughed when he saw the fine bone, and at once began to gnaw it, while Master Frisky stood by wagging his tail, enjoying his satisfaction keenly. When Ned had gnawed at the bone for some time, he got up and invited Frisky to take his turn at the breakfast.
Master Frisky, whose mouth had been watering while Ned was eating, chewed at the bone for a minute, and then, as Ned refused to eat more of his friend's dainty, carefully buried it, and smoothed the place off with his paws. The two friends then came and lay down on the piazza, and probably filled in the rest of their time with pleasant conversation about the happenings in Dogtown.
When it was time for them to go, Frisky was quite as cordial in taking leave of Ned as I was of the doctor; telling him in dog language to come and see him again, and many other polite things, some of which I did not understand.
Master Frisky stopped on the sidewalk, wagging his tail until they were out of sight; and when he was quite sure Ned would not see him, he trotted into the garden, dug up his bone, and buried it in a new place!
I laughed; and he came running to me with a queer expression upon his comical little face. It seemed to say, "Why, master, what are you laughing at? I thought it was too great a temptation for poor Ned to know where my nice bone was, and so I have buried it where he cannot find it."