along　with　his　fist；　in　an　instinctive　kick。　The　kick　did　not
  reach　Bruce。　But　it　landed；　full　and　effectively；　on　the
  accelerator。
  The　powerful　car　responded　to　the　touch　with　a　bound。　And　it　did
  so　at　the　very　moment　that　the　flash　of　white　teeth　at　his　throat
  made　Halding　snatch　his　own　left　hand　instinctively　from　the
  steering…wheel；　in　order　to　guard　the　threatened　spot。
  A　second　later　the　runabout　crashed　at　full　speed　into　the　wall
  of　a　house　on　the　narrow　street's　opposite　side。
  The　rest　was　chaos。
  When　a　crowd　of　idlers　and　a　policeman　at　last　righted　the
  wrecked　car；　two　bodies　were　found　huddled　inertly　amid　a　junk…
  heap　of　splintered　glass　and　shivered　wood　and　twisted　metal。　The
  local　ambulance　carried　away　one　of　these　limp　bodies。　The
  Place's　car　rushed　the　smash…up's　other　senseless　victim　to　the
  office　of　the　nearest　veterinary。　Dr。　Halding；　with　a　shattered
  shoulder…blade　and　a　fractured　nose　and　jaw　and　a　mild　case　of
  brain…concussion；was　received　as　a　guest　of　honor　at　the
  village　hospital。
  Bruce；　his　left　foreleg　broken　and　a　nasty　assortment　of　glass…
  cuts　marring　the　fluffiness　of　his　fur；　was　skillfully　patched　up
  by　the　vet'　and　carried　back　that　night　to　The　Place。
  The　puppy　had　suddenly　taken　on　a　new　value　in　his　owners'　eyes
  partly　for　his　gallantly　puny　effort　at　defending　the　Mistress；
  partly　because　of　his　pitiful　condition。　And　he　was　nursed；　right
  zealously；　back　to　life　and　health。
  In　a　few　weeks；　the　plaster　cast　on　the　convalescent's　broken
  foreleg　had　been　replaced　by　a　bandage。　In　another　week　or　two
  the　vet'　pronounced　Bruce　as　well　as　ever。　The　dog；　through
  habit；　still　held　the　mended　foreleg　off　the　ground；　even　after
  the　bandage　was　removed。　Whereat；　the　Master　tied　a　bandage
  tightly　about　the　uninjured　foreleg。
  Bruce　at　once　decided　that　this；　and　not　the　other；　was　the　lame
  leg；　and　he　began　forthwith　to　limp　on　it。　As　it　was　manifestly
  impossible　to　keep　both　forelegs　off　the　ground　at　the　same　time
  when　he　was　walking；　he　was　forced　to　make　use　of　the　once…broken
  leg。　Finding；　to　his　amaze；　that　he　could　walk　on　it　with　perfect
  ease；　he　devoted　his　limping　solely　to　the　well　leg。　And　as　soon
  as　the　Master　took　the　bandage　from　that；　Bruce　ceased　to　limp　at
  all。
  Meanwhile；　a　lawyer；　whose　name　sounded　as　though　it　had　been
  culled　from　a　Rhine　Wine　list；　had　begun　suit；　in　Dr。　Halding's
  name；　against　the　Mistress；　as　a　〃contributory　cause〃　of　his
  client's　accident。　The　suit　never　came　to　trial。　It　was　dropped；
  indeed；　with　much　haste。　Not　from　any　change　of　heart　on　the
  plaintiff's　behalf；　but　because；　at　that　juncture；　Dr。　Halding
  chanced　to　be　arrested　and　interned　as　a　dangerous　Enemy　Alien。
  Our　country　had　recently　declared　war　on　Germany；　and　the　belated
  spy…hunt　was　up。
  During　the　Federal　officers'　search　of　the　doctor's　house；　for
  treasonable　documents　（of　which　they　found　an　ample　supply）；　they
  came　upon　his　laboratory。　No　fewer　than　five　dogs；　in　varying
  stages　of　hideous　torture；　were　found　strapped　to　tables　or
  hanging　to　wall…hooks。　The　vivisector　bewailed；　loudly　and
  gutturally；　this　cruel　interruption　to　his　researches　in
  Science's　behalf。
  One　day；　two　months　after　the　accident；　Bruce　stood　on　all　four
  feet　once　more；　with　no　vestige　left　of　scars　or　of　lameness。　And
  then；　for　the　first　time；　a　steady　change　that　had　been　so　slow
  as　to　escape　any　one's　notice　dawned　upon　the　Mistress　and　the
  Master。　It　struck　them　both　at　the　same　moment。　And　they　stared
  dully　at　their　pet。
  The　shapeless；　bumptious；　foolish　Pest　of　two　months　ago　had
  vanished。　In　his　place；　by　a　very　normal　process　of　nature…magic；
  stood　a　magnificently　stately　thoroughbred　collie。
  The　big　head　had　tapered　symmetrically；　and　had　lost　its　puppy
  formlessness。　It　was　now　a　head　worthy　of　Landseer's　own　pencil。
  The　bonily　awkward　body　had　lengthened　and　had　lost　its　myriad
  knobs　and　angles。　It　had　grown　massively　graceful。
  The　former　thatch　of　half…curly　and　indeterminately　yellowish
  fuzz　had　changed　to　a　rough　tawny　coat；　wavy　and　unbelievably
  heavy；　stippled　at　the　ends　with　glossy　black。　There　was　a
  strange　depth　and　repose　and　Soul　in　the　dark　eyesyes；　and　a
  keen　intelligence；　too。
  It　was　the　old　story　of　the　Ugly　Duckling；　all　over　again。
  〃Why！〃　gasped　the　Mistress。　〃He'she's　BEAUTIFUL！　And　I　never
  knew　it。〃
  At　her　loved　voice　the　great　dog　moved　across　to　where　she　sat。
  Lightly　he　laid　one　little　white　paw　on　her　knee　and　looked
  gravely　up　into　her　eyes。
  〃He's　got　sense；　too；〃　chimed　in　the　Master。　〃Look　at　those　eyes；
  if　you　doubt　it。　They're　alive　with　intelligence。　It'sit's　a
  miracle！　He　can't　be　the　same　worthless　whelp　I　wanted　to　get　rid
  of！　He　CAN'T！〃
  And　he　was　not。　The　long　illness；　at　the　most　formative　time　of
  the　dog's　growth；　had　done　its　work　in　developing　what；　all　the
  time；　had　lain　latent。　The　same　illnessand　the　long…enforced
  personal　touch　with　humanshad　done　an　equally　transforming　work
  on　the　puppy's　undeveloped　mind。　The　Thackeray…Washington…
  Lincoln…Bismarck　simile　had　held　good。
  What　looked　like　a　miracle　was　no　more　than　the　same　beautifully
  simple　process　which　Nature　enacts　every　day；　when　she　changes　an
  awkward　and　dirt…colored　cygnet　into　a　glorious　swan　or　a　leggily
  gawky　colt　into　a　superb　Derby…winner。　But　Bruce's　metamorphosis
  seemed　none　the　less　wonderful　in　the　eyes　of　the　two　people　who
  had　learned　to　love　him。
  Somewhere　in　the　hideous　wreck　of　Dr。　Halding's　motorcar　the　dog
  had　found　a　souland　the　rest　had　followed　as　a　natural　course
  of　growth。
  At　the　autumn　dog…show；　in　Hampton；　a　〃dark…sable…and…white〃
  collie　of　unwonted　size　and　beauty　walked　proudly　into　the　ring
  close　to　the　Mistress's　side；　when　the　puppy　class　was　calleda
  class　that　includes　all　dogs　under　twelve　months　old。　Six　minutes
  later　the　Mistress　was　gleesomely　accepting　the　first…prize　blue
  ribbon；　for　〃best　puppy；〃　from　Judge　Symonds'　own　gnarled　hand。
  Then　came　the　other　classes　for　collies〃Novice；〃　〃Open；〃
  〃Limit；〃　〃Local；〃　〃American　Bred。〃　And　as　Bruce　paced
  majestically　out　of　the　ring　at　last；　he　was　the　possessor　of
  five　more　blue　ribbonsas　well　as　the　blue　Winner's　rosette；　for
  〃best　collie　in　the　show。〃
  〃Great　dog　you've　got　there；　madam！〃　commented　Symonds　in　solemn
  approval　as　he　handed　the　Winner's　rosette　to　the　Mistress。　〃Fine
  dog　in　every　way。　Fine　promise。　He　will　go　far。　One　of　the　best
  types　I've〃
  〃Do　you　really　think　so？〃　sweetly　replied　the　Mistress。　〃Why；　one
  of　the　foremost　collie　judges　in　America　has　gone　on　record　as
  calling　him　a　'measly　St。　Bernard　monstrosity。'〃
  〃No？〃　snorted　Symonds；　incredulous。　〃You　don't　say　so！　A　judge
  who　would　speak　so；　of　that　dog；　doesn't　understand　his　business。
  He〃
  〃Oh；　yes；　he　does！〃　contradicted　the　Mistress；　glancing　lovingly
  at　her　handful　of　blue　ribbons。　〃I　think　he　understands　his
  business　very　well　indeedNOW！〃
  CHAPTER　III。　The　War　Dog
  The　guest　had　decided　to　wait　until　next　morning；　before　leaving
  The　Place；　instead　of　following　his　first　plan　of　taking　a　night
  train　to　New　York。　He　was　a　captain　in　our　regular　army　and　had
  newly　come　back　from　France　to　forget　an　assortment　of　shrapnel
  bites　and　to　teach　practical　tactics　to　rookies。
  He　reached　his　decision　to　remain　over　night　at　The　Place　while
  he　and　the　Mistress　and　the　Master　were　sitting　on　the　vine…hung
  west　veranda　after　dinner；　watching　the　flood　of　sunset　change
  the　lake　to　molten　gold　and　the　sky　to　pink　fire。　It　would　be
  pleasant　to　steal　another　few　hours　at　this　back…country　House　of
  Peace　before　returning　to　the　humdrum　duties　of　camp。　And　the
  guest　yielded　to　the　temptation。
  〃I'm　mighty　glad　you　can　stay　over　till　morning；〃　said　the
  Master。　〃I'll　send　word　to　Roberts　not　to　bring　up　the　car。〃
  As　he　spoke；　he　scrawled　a　penciled　line　on　an　envelope…back；
  then　he　whistled。
  From　a　cool　lounging…place　beneath　the　wistaria…vines　arose　a
  huge　colliestately　of　form；　dark　brown　and　white　of　coat；　deep…
  set　of　eye　and　with　a　head　that　somehow　reminded　one　of　a
  Landseer　engraving。　The　collie　trotted　up　the　steps　of　the
  veranda　and　stood　expectant　before　the　Master。　The　latter　had
  been　folding　the　envelope　lengthwise。　Now　he　slipped　it　through
  the　ring　in　the　dog's　collar。
  〃Give　it　to　Roberts；〃　he　said。
  The　big　collie　turned　and　set　off　at　a　hand…gallop。
  〃Good！〃　approved　the　guest。　〃Bruce　didn't　seem　to　be　in　any　doubt
  as　to　what　you　wanted　him　to　do。　He　knows　where　Roberts　is　likely
  to　be？〃
  〃No；〃　said　the　Master。　〃But　he　can　track　him　and　find　him；　if
  Roberts　is　anywhere　within　a　mile　or　so　from　here。　That　was　one
  of　the　first　things　we　taught　himto　carry　messages。　All　we　do
  is　to　slip　the　paper　into　his　collar…ring　and　tell　him　the　name
  of　the　person　to　take　it　to。　Natur