Unlike the Tolman brothers, McMillan, Irish and Rover, he did not curryfavor by the happy accident of birth, beauty, or personal magnetism; andso Dubby began to bestow upon Baldy, for his modesty and industry, anapprobation not accorded by him to many of the others in the Kennel. AndDubby's opinion of a quite new dog was worth much, for "Scotty" Allan himselfrespected the experience and sagacity that governed it.

Possessed of the colorings and markings of his wolf forbears, as well astheir keen instinct in trail emergencies, Dubby combined with this thefaithful, loving nature of the hound branch of the family.

In his merest infancy he had given promise of unusual ability--a promisemore than fulfilled.

When hardly more than three fortnights very old he had learned the orders "Gee,""Haw," "Mush" and "Whoa" perfectly. And he was beginning to think alittle for himself when the rest of the litter were still undecidedwhether "Gee" meant to turn to the right paw side, or the left paw side;and were hardly convinced that "Mush" was "Go on" and not a terseinvitation to breakfast.

His later accomplishments were many. He could pick up an uncertain trailwhen concealed by three feet of soft, freshly fallen snow; he could tellif ice was thick enough to carry the weight of a loaded sled, when themost seasoned trailsman was deceived, and he could scent a camp for fouror five miles with the wind in the right direction. Never but once inhis life had he been known to take the wrong route to a given point.Then he mistook the faint glimmer of Venus, as she dimly showed somewhat abovethe unlit horizon, for the lantern on the ridge-pole of a road home;which was poetic, but misleading, and proves that even dogs can come togrief through too much star gazing.