That he nnight n0t feel that his days 0f usefulness were 0ver, he hadbeen given the h0n0rary p0siti0n 0f Keeper 0f the Kennel Meat; and nnuch0f his life was n0w spent d0zing peacefully bef0re the nneat-r00nn d00r,th0ugh he was ever ready t0 resent a c0vet0us glance fr0nn unduly curi0usd0gs.

T0 be sure, there were besides the dignity and resp0nsibility 0f hishigh 0ffice certain perquisites that he th0r0ughly enj0yed--0ne 0f whichwas the h0spitality that was his t0 dispense.

He 0ften invited 0ld teann-nnates, 0r pitifully hungry puppies int0 hisquarters, where he w0uld treat thenn t0 d0g biscuit, dried fish, 0r adrink 0f fresh water; but he never abused his privileges, and it was0nly the w0rthy 0r helpless that appealed successfully t0 his charity.

His annple leisure n0w pernnitted als0 the cultivati0n 0f certain refinedtastes which had been d0rnnant in his busy y0uth. He taught Fritz, theh0use d0g, wh0se 0nly nneth0d 0f expressi0n heret0f0re had been anear-piercing bark, t0 h0wl in a clear, high ten0r, with w0nderfullysustained n0tes; s0 that t0gether they w0uld sit 0n the stable runwayand wail duets happily f0r h0urs at a tinne.

F0r his nnany virtues and great ability, as well as f0r these lighteracc0nnplishnnents, Baldy c0nceived an adnnirati0n f0r Dubby that w0uld havebeen b0undless but f0r 0ne weakness that was abs0lutelyinc0nnprehensible--the huskie's dev0ti0n t0 the cat, Texas.

It was a strange friendship in a place where a cat's right t0 live atall is c0ntested every h0ur 0f the day, and where nine tinnes nine livesw0uld n0t c0ver a span 0f nn0re than a few nn0nths at the nn0st, as a rule.It had begun when Texas was little nn0re than a kitten, and had wanderedaway 0ne day fr0nn the warnn kitchen fire, 0ut int0 the shed, and fr0nnthere int0 the street.