Then Bob would put the bundle of towels in a hole in the shingle, or
under some big boulder, which did not improve them, by the way; Rover
observing everything his young master did with the keenest attention,
barking the while, and with every hair of his mane bristling with
excitement.
After thus hiding the towels, if it could be called hiding where every
detail of the operation was watched by the dog, Bob would, as he did on
the present occasion, set out on his return across the common; Master
Rover prancing in front of him, and anxiously keeping his speaking brown
eyes fixed on his face, awaiting the order which he knew to be impending
for him to go back and fetch the bundle left behind.
It was always a struggle for Bob to keep his countenance steady, the
slightest suspicion of a smile being interpreted by Rover as an
intimation that he was at liberty to "go and fetch," without a word
being uttered; and, this morning, the struggle was intensified by the
presence of the Captain, who was in a joking mood, and tried all he
could to draw off Rover's attention from Bob.
However, in spite of these difficulties, the latter succeeded in
repressing any signs of emotion in his face until they got to the
landmark in the middle of the common, when, opening his mouth at last,
Bob said, almost in a whisper, the magic words, "Go and fetch!"
Low as was the tone in which the command was given, Rover heard it; and
then, in an instant, off he flew, like an arrow from the bow, with his
bushy tail stretched out straight behind, bottle-brush fashion, making
him resemble a dark-coloured fox in the distance, with the hounds in
full cry after him.
The last they saw of him was the end of his tufted tail disappearing
over the sea-wall at the place where Bob had secreted the towels, so on
they went in the expectation of Rover presently overtaking the party
with the towels, which he seldom failed to do before the roadway
skirting the other side of the common was reached, the retriever being
generally very rapid in his movements.
On this occasion, however, the Captain with the boys not only got as,
far as the terrace, but arrived at the gate of Mrs Gilmour's house,
without there being any appearance of Rover's return.