the author if that was his dog, and he would reply meekly he was not really his, but one that was staying at Sunnyside. The master tried to excuse Pierre in each instance, pointing to his War Cross and saying he was a hero, but he met with little success.
In the course of a short walk he chased three groups of children, tipped over a perambulator, treed two cats, one of which he nearly got, and had a scrap with the butcher's boy, who threw stones at him from a safe distance, making him perfectly frantic with fury. The author whistled and shouted until he was out of breath. Finally he disowned Pierre altogether, and hurried home trying to throw him off his scent. When he entered the front door, the Airedale appeared from somewhere and slunk in at his heels.
