treme caution. The fence was high, with a flat,
horizontal top about four inches wide. It ran
around three sides of the garden, and often, as
Aunt Faith sat at her work in the sitting-room,
the melancholy procession of dogs passed the win-
dow on this fence-top, followed by Tom with his
switch. But Aunt Faith never interfered. She
knew that Tom was a kind master, who never
ill-treated or tormented any creature. Tom was
a large-hearted boy, and, although full of mis-
chief, was never cruel or heartless ; he found no
pleasure in ill-treating a dog or a cat, nor would
he suffer other boys to do so in his presence.
Many a battle had he fought with boys of mean
and cruel natures, to rescue a bird, or some other
helpless creature. " It is only cowards," he
would say, "who like to torment birds, cats, and
dogs. They know the poor things can't fight
them back again."
Old Turk, — a giant in size among dogs, — had been in the family for many years ; Grip was rescued from the canal, where some cruel boys
