[Illustration: 9066]
COMMISSARY is one who furnishes supplies of food to an army or body of
men, but I dare say you never heard of a dog commissary. He lived at
the boarding-school where Toots' mamma went when a little girl, and his
owner was the lady who kept the school. Her son brought him home one day
and taught him many tricks. Every day he went to market for the family,
and it was great fun for the younger girls to see "Captain Com" go out
with his basket in his mouth. His errands were always faithfully done.
No boy ever dared to meddle with Com, and although he went five blocks
to market no one ever tried to get his note out of the basket. Every
morning he waited until madam consulted with cook and wrote down the
order, and then when it was put into his care he would trot away in a
very happy frame of mind. "Com" was very good to the younger pupils. He
would let them drive him in a little cart, or play tag with them by the
hour. Once in the vacation, when nearly all the pupils had gone home,
madam said: "We will not send an order to the butcher to-day; it is so
warm, we will have a light lunch."
"Com" did not like this; he was very restless for a long time, and at
last one of the children said, "I think Com has gone to market. He tried
to get his basket from the nail and he could not; then he ran away."
"We will go out for a walk and see," said madam, "for 'Com' can do
everything but talk, and he is greatly distressed because I did not
order dinner."
When they reached the butcher's, there was "Com" with his paws on the
cutting block, patiently waiting to be served.
"He deserves a nice dinner," said the butcher, and he gave him some
meat; still "Com" was not satisfied; he wanted it put up in paper and
laid in a basket before he would go away. "Com" never would touch a bit
of meat until he went home to cook, with his marketing.
Where Com lived they did not have letter carriers or postmen, and his
mistress made a little mail-bag for him which he carried to the office
morning and night. He always entered by the back door, and the clerk
would kindly wait upon him. Sometimes his bag would be full of letters
and papers for the pupils, and then "Com" was very proud. Every night
this wise dog guarded the house, and madam always felt quite happy about
the younger children if "Com" was with them.
[Illustration: 0068]