Excerpt from In Oudemon: Reminiscences of an Unknown People by an Occasional Traveler
There was that in the bearing Of the man that intimated serenity and poise of an unusual order, and as he continued his pencillings in the notebook my study became more absorbing; indeed, I found myself soon laboring hard to devise a plan or pre text for accosting him. An incident helped me in this direction very unexpectedly. A troop Of boys suddenly broke into our quiet retreat. They were accompanied by a fine St. Bernard dog, evidently young, and so full Of mischievous pranks that he was the chief Object of their gamesome excitement. It was Here, Rupert Here, Rupert Good dog Shouted by one and another in great glee, and Rupert gamboled from one to the other, jumping upon and almost overwhelming the recipients Of his attention. The boys made the fountain circle the theatre of their sport and ran around and around, the dog pursuing and rollicking with them. The unknown paid little attention to the melee at first; then closing his notebook, he laid it on the bench beside him and looked with an amused face upon the merry scene. This, however, for a few minutes only, for in one of his rounds the St. Ber nard stopped and turned toward the stranger and, slowly walking to him, put a huge paw upon his knee, and looked up into his face, as if soliciting notice. The man patted him upon the head, the dog wagging his tail as if greatly pleased. Then, as if a sudden humor had seized him, the cunning brute snatched the notebook and dashed Off with it, running perhaps forty feet and then turning around as if to see the effect Of this last prank. The man rose from his seat, but did not follow or say a word. The boys, however, who, for the most part, had been watching the dog’s conduct With the stranger, now ran for the rogue, crying out, Drop it, Rupert; drop it, drop it. But Rupert was bent on having his fun, and had no disposition to drop the prize just then. He would permit two or three Of them to come almost Within catching distance, and then jump away, carrying the book securely between his solid white teeth. Around the fountain the boys drove him. In making a circuit the dog took a.
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