BOOK 5
ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM DRAWINGS BY WILL OWEN
WATCH-DOGS
"It's a'most the only enj'yment I've got left," said the oldestinhabitant, taking a long, slow draught of beer, "that and a pipe o'baccy. Neither of 'em wants chewing, and that's a great thing when youain't got anything worth speaking about left to chew with."
He put his mug on the table and, ignoring the stillness of the summerair, sheltered the flame of a match between his cupped hands and conveyedit with infinite care to the bowl of his pipe. A dull but crafty old eyesquinting down the stem assured itself that the tobacco was well alightbefore the match was thrown away.
"As I was a-saying, kindness to animals is all very well," he said to thewayfarer who sat opposite him in the shade of the "Cauliflower" elms;"but kindness to your feller-creeturs is more. The pint wot you give meis gone, but I'm just as thankful to you as if it wasn't."
He half closed his eyes and, gazing on to the fields beyond, fell into areverie so deep that he failed to observe the landlord come for his mugand return with it filled. A little start attested his surprise, and,to his great annoyance, upset a couple of tablespoonfuls of the preciousliquid.
"Some people waste all their kindness on dumb animals," he remarked,after the landlord had withdrawn from his offended vision, "but I wasnever a believer in it. I mind some time ago when a gen'lemen fromLunnon wot 'ad more money than sense offered a prize for kindness toanimals. I was the only one that didn't try for to win it.
"Mr. Bunnett 'is name was, and 'e come down and took Farmer Hall's 'ousefor the summer. Over sixty 'e was, and old enough to know better. Heused to put saucers of milk all round the 'ouse for cats to drink, and,by the time pore Farmer Hall got back, every cat for three miles round'ad got in the habit of coming round to the back-door and asking for milkas if it was their right. Farmer Hall poisoned a s