[Illustration: Frontispiece]

JAN

A DOG AND A ROMANCE

BY

A.J. DAWSON

NEW YORK

GROSSET & DUNLAP

PUBLISHERS

Published by Arrangement with Harper & Brothers

JAN: A DOG AND A ROMANCE Copyright, 1915, by Harper & Brothers Printed in the United States of America Published October, 1915

_CONTENTS_

I. HOW FINN CAME HOME

II. NUTHILL AND SHAWS

III. INTRODUCING THE LADY DESDEMONA

IV. THE OPEN-AIR CALL

V. DESDEMONA'S WANDERINGS

VI. HOW DESDEMONA FOUND HER NEST

VII. DESDEMONA FORGETS HER MANNERS

VIII. FINN IS ENLIGHTENED

IX. THE LONE MOTHER

X. FAMILY LIFE--AND DEATH

XI. JAN GOES TO NUTHILL

XII. SOME FIRST STEPS

XIII. SAPLING DAYS

XIV. WITH REFERENCE TO DICK VAUGHAN

XV. JAN'S FIRST FIGHT

XVI. GOOD-BY TO DICK

XVII. JAN BEFORE THE JUDGES

XVIII. FIT AS A TWO-YEAR-OLD

XIX. DISCIPLINE

XX. SUSSEX TO SASKATCHEWAN

XXI. INTRODUCING SOURDOUGH

XXII. MURDER!

XXIII. THE FIGHT ON THE PRAIRIE

XXIV. PROMOTION

XXV. JAN GOES ON HIS TRAVELS

XXVI. THE RULE OF TRACE AND THONG

XXVII. MUTINY IN THE TEAM

XXVIII. THE FEAST AND THE FASTER

XXIX. THE FIGHT IN THE WOODS

XXX. REAL LEADERSHIP

XXXI. THE COST OF INCOMPETENCE

XXXII. JAN OBEYS ORDERS AT THE GREAT DIVIDE

XXXIII. BACK TO THE TRAIL

XXXIV. THE PEACE RIVER TRAIL

XXXV. THE END OF JAN'S LONE TRAIL

XXXVI. "SO LONG, JAN!"

XXXVII. BACK TO REGINA

XXXVIII. THE FALL OF SOURDOUGH

XXXIX. HOW JAN CAME HOME

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Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: Jan by A. J. Dawson
• 2: Just six weeks before Finn's arrival at Nuthill
• 3: Who went specially to Plymouth to fetch Finn
• 4: When he showed the bench to Finn
• 5: As often as not the kennels are empty
• 6: Finn standing erect and still as graven bronze
• 7: The wolfhound very rarely failed him
• 8: While the Master and his folk were dining at Nuthill
• 9: And so he turned a deaf ear to his kennelman
• 10: Finn turned up as usual in the evening at Nuthill
• 11: VIHOW DESDEMONA FOUND HER NEST It would
• 12: Another moment and Desdemona had forced her way past Finn
• 13: The place appealed most strongly to the Lady Desdemona
• 14: That Desdemona became less and less keen upon his company
• 15: The cook at Nuthill was one of Finn's most devoted admirers
• 16: But the picture did not show Finn any fighting
• 17: She understood now that Finn understood
• 18: Two or three pups would have been left with Desdemona
• 19: Finn himself was well fed each day at Nuthill
• 20: For the moment Desdemona gave no thought to the stoat
• 21: Desdemona regarded it mournfully
• 22: Still Desdemona remained outside
• 23: The reduction was probably a beneficent one for Desdemona
• 24: And the vixen leaped backward on the instant
• 25: The startled vixen crouched on the slope
• 26: Thought Desdemona more dangerously emaciated than she was
• 27: Which might mean losing Desdemona altogether
• 28: There were no kennels at Nuthill
• 29: Followed quizzingly by the wolfhound
• 30: And glared with special severity at Desdemona
• 31: Desdemona would have recognized him again without hesitation
• 32: He would follow it as no wolfhound could
• 33: Whining and barking very urgently
• 34: And was off like the wind for Nuthill
• 35: Their nearest resident medical practitioner
• 36: There were good horses and dogs at Upcroft
• 37: Broke momentarily through the rueful expression of his face
• 38: That Jan's mistress missed Dick Vaughan
• 39: All unknown though it was to Jan
• 40: Jan learned with surprising quickness
• 41: At that psychological moment Grip
• 42: Vaughan and his son Dick ate their dinner at Nuthill
• 43: For which fine service Dick Vaughan had enlisted
• 44: He saw Finn and Jan just as plainly as they saw him
• 45: He's gone away to Sas sas katchewan
• 46: For the life the wolfhound led
• 47: The Dandie Dinmont had the most delightful eyes imaginable
• 48: He signaled Betty to call Jan to her
• 49: This message Greeting from Nuthill
• 50: The bloodhound in him made him look solemn at times
• 51: Vaughan and the Upcroft household
• 52: Four square foundation of irreproachable prestige
• 53: Vaughan and confirmed the Master in his faith
• 54: Obedience to Dick was righteousness for Jan
• 55: Jan thought a good deal of Finn
• 56: Both Dick and Captain Arnutt had thought of this
• 57: As Dick subsequently explained to Captain Arnutt
• 58: Jan eyed them all quite good humoredly
• 59: Sourdough will have his salute as boss
• 60: And these were Sergeant Moore and his dog Sourdough
• 61: Sourdough leaped sideways at him
• 62: Sourdough is practically a wolf
• 63: Who promptly went with it to Captain Arnutt
• 64: And galloped off after Dick and Jan
• 65: And Captain Arnutt had a light steel collar made for him
• 66: And if he can teach Sourdough to kill Jan
• 67: Instead of slinking back from tyrant Sourdough
• 68: Watching Sourdough with raised hackles
• 69: Sourdough entirely misread Jan
• 70: Sourdough drew in and up his powerful hind quarters
• 71: Sourdough pivoted round in agony
• 72: He had formed friendships in Regina
• 73: I told me lord his kerridge would be along shortly
• 74: As Jan settled down in the buckboard
• 75: For a little while Jan hardly thought of Dick Vaughan
• 76: We'll try Jan in front of old Blackfoot
• 77: The physical strength of Finn the wolfhound
• 78: But leaving Jan to settle with Snip
• 79: Jean asked three hundred dollars
• 80: With genuine admiration for Jan
• 81: When Jean had examined the moose
• 82: The cutting up of a full grown moose is no light task
• 83: Springy steps like a cat at play
• 84: So sunk in sloth was Jan that he
• 85: Jan was grossly bloated and he
• 86: Jan breathed hard in a defiant snarl
• 87: The dominating picture Jan saw
• 88: Actually breaking his own fangs
• 89: No good for Beel to fight heem
• 90: Tha's Jan bes' dog musher in 'Merica to day
• 91: Because Snip was a curiously remorseless creature
• 92: To the moneyed chechaquo who had purchased Jan
• 93: But of this the two huskies knew nothing
• 94: Have felt drawn toward Beeching and Harry
• 95: Observed the oracular Beeching
• 96: There simply was no Gutty left
• 97: Jan propped and jerked himself feebly into the tent
• 98: Thatched brows rose the noble bloodhound forehead
• 99: I like a dawg as well as the next man
• 100: Willis's team consisted of five huskies
• 101: An' when that husky understands
• 102: He carried a fair stock of moose meat
• 103: Jan seemed disinclined to answer the call
• 104: And Jan checked in his stride as he heard it
• 105: Jan was conscious of their presence
• 106: Jan gave the husky his shoulder
• 107: Jan was instantly aware of the lack
• 108: Jan had found all he wanted in life
• 109: Of which the sole observer was a single sled dog
• 110: I was bound for steel at Edmonton
• 111: It's mebbe not the best kind of an outfit
• 112: An Edmonton Bulletin reporter
• 113: As Dick subsequently explained to Captain Arnutt
• 114: Sourdough had aged a good deal during the past year
• 115: Sourdough mechanically regained his footing
• 116: Strenuous life he had left behind him in the northland