Cat and Dog | Page 6

clear it off his mind like a man; we are slaves to our impressions,
and till they are forgotten we cannot help acting upon them; and I am
afraid I rather took pleasure in nursing my wrath. Then I did not wish
to see Craven; and perhaps I might feel a little ashamed of myself, and

not quite sure what my master and mistress might think of my running
away. But I happened to hear John chuckling over the affair, and saying
that my master had been very much amused with the story; so I
regained confidence enough next morning to present myself once more,
though in rather a shy way, to Lily at the foot of the stairs.
"Oh, come in to breakfast, you capital dog," exclaimed she; so I
followed her, delighted to find that I was in the same favour as ever.
But, alas! how little did I foresee the misfortune that was coming upon
me! I had better have stayed in my kennel and fancied the whole world
affronted with me for a few days longer.
Craven and I met on the rug, my rug, as I considered it; for it was one
of my principal pleasures to sit on that rug with my feet on the fender,
warming my nose. I sometimes toasted myself all over, till my coat was
so hot that Lily squeaked when she touched me. She would have
barked, I suppose, if she had known how. Now Craven stood in my
place, with one of his hind paws on my fender. He looked scornfully at
me, and I returned his glance with one of equal contempt, though I
longed to snap at his shining heel, and teach him sense and manners.
But Lily, who never was angry with any body, did not perceive how
much we disliked each other, and exclaimed in her innocent way,
"Craven, here is Captain come to make friends with you, and to beg
pardon for deserting you yesterday. Shake a paw, Captain."
Shaking a paw with Craven was a thing I would not do; and my master,
a good sportsman himself, entered into my feelings.
"The dog was thoroughly provoked by your bad shooting, Craven,"
said he, "and you will never make either him or me believe it was his
fault. But try again. There is no necessity for you to be a sportsman; but
if you choose to do a thing at all, you had better do it properly; and you
may learn as well as any body else, if you will not fancy yourself
perfect. We will all go out together to-day."
And so we all went out together on that fatal day. I did myself credit,
and my master did me justice, and I was happy in my ignorance of

coming events. Craven shot and missed, and shot and missed again; but
my master's laugh stopped him whenever he was beginning to lay the
blame on dog or gun.
"Bad workmen always find fault with their tools, Craven," said my
master. "Take better aim."
John tried to teach him, but he would listen to no advice.
It is seldom that a person's fault or folly injures himself alone, and, alas
for me! I was the victim of Craven's conceit and obstinacy. At his next
fire I felt a pang that I never can forget. His ill-directed shot had
entered my shoulder, and I sank down howling with agony. My
companions instantly surrounded me, uttering exclamations of alarm,
regret, and pity, Craven himself being the foremost and loudest. He
never should forgive himself, he said; it was all his awkwardness and
stupidity; he was never so sorry for any thing in his life.
He ran to a neighbouring cottage for a shutter, while my master and
John bound up the wound. They then placed me carefully on the shutter,
and carried me home, Craven reproaching himself and pitying me every
time he opened his lips. I scarcely knew him for the same person who
had been so conceited and supercilious half an hour before; and even
my master, who was extremely angry with him, grew softened by his
penitence.
They carried me two at a time, in turn; and when Craven was walking
by my side, he stroked my head, saying, "Poor Captain, how I wish I
could do any thing to relieve you! if you could but understand how
grieved and ashamed I am, I think you would forgive me."
Though suffering greatly, I could not but be touched by his sorrow; and
when I heard the kind tones of his voice, and saw tears standing in his
eyes, my anger quite melted away, and I licked his hand to show that I
bore no malice.
My accident confined me to the kennel for a