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Next morning； in the course of nature； Link Ferris worked with a
splitting headache。 He carried it and a bad taste in his mouth； for the best
part of the day。
But it was the last drink headache which marred his labor； all that long
and happy summer。 His work showed the results of the change。 So did the
meager hill farm。 So did Link's system and his pocketbook。
As he was a real； live human and not a temperance tract hero； there
were times when he girded bitterly at his self…enforced abstinence。 Where
were times； toowhen he had a touch of malaria and again when the
cutworms slaughtered two rows of his early tomatoeswhen he yearned
unspeakably for the solace of an evening at the Hampton tavern。
He had never been a natural drinker。 Like many a better man he had
drunk less for what he sought to get than for what he sought to forget。 And
with the departure of loneliness and the new interest in his home； he felt
less the need for wet conviviality and for drugging his fits of melancholy。
The memory of Chum's grieving repulsion somehow stuck in Ferris's
mind。 And it served as a brake； more than once； to his tavernward
impulses。 Two or three times； also； when Link's babyish gusts of
destructive bad temper boiled to the surface at some setback or annoyance；
much the same wonderingly distressed look would creep into the collie's
glancea look as of one who is revolted by a dear friend's failure to play
up to form。 And to his own amused surprise； Ferris found himself trying to
curb these outbursts。
To the average human； a dog is only a dog。 To Ferris； this collie of his
was the one intimate friend of his life。 Unversed in the ways of dogs； he
overestimated Chum； of course； and valued his society and his good
opinion far more highly than the average man would have done。 Thus；
perhaps； his desire to stand well in the dog's esteem had in it more that
was commendable than ludicrous。 Or perhaps not。
If the strange association did much for Link； it did infinitely more for
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Chum。 He had found a master who had no social interests in life beyond
his dog； and who could and did devote all his scant leisure hours to
association with that dog。 Chum's sagacity and individuality blossomed
under such intensive tutelage； as might that of a clever child who is the
sole pupil of its teacher。
Link did not seek to make a trick dog of his pet。 He taught Chum to
shake hands； to lie down； to 〃speak〃 and one or two more simple
accomplishments。 It was by talking constantly to the collie； as to a fellow
human； that he broadened the dog's intelligence。 Chum grew to know and
to interpret every inflection of Ferris's voice； every simple word he spoke
and every gesture of his。
Apart from mere good fellowship the dog was proving of great use on
the farm。 Morning and night； Chum drove the sheep and the cattle to their
respective pastures and then back to the barnyard at night。 At the entrances
to the pastures； now； Ferris had rigged up rude gates with 〃bar catch〃
fasteningssimple contrivances which closed by gravity and whose bars
the dog was readily taught to shove upward with his nose。
It was thus a matter of only a few days to teach Chum to open or close
the light gates。 This trick has been taught to countless collies； of course； in
Great Britain； and to many here。 But Link did not know that。 He felt like
another Columbus or Edison； at his own genius in devising such a scheme；
and he felt an inordinate pride in Chum for learning the simple exploit so
quickly。
Of old； Link had fretted at the waste of time in taking out the sheep
and cows and in going for them at night。 This dual duty was now a thing
of the past。 Chum did the work for him； and reveled in the excitement of it。
Chum alsofrom watching Link perform the task twicehad learned to
drive the chickens out of the garden patches whenever any of them
chanced to stray thither； and to scurry into the cornfield with harrowing
barks of ejection when a flock of crows hovered hungrily above the
newly…planted crops。
All of which was continual amusement to Chum； and a tremendous
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help to his owner。
Link； getting over his initial wonder at the dog's progress； began to
take these accomplishments as a matter of course。 Indeed； he was
sometimes perplexed at the otherwise sagacious dog's limitations of brain。
For example； Chum loved the fire on the chilly evenings such as creep
over the mountain region even in midsummer。 He would watch Link
replenish the blaze with fresh sticks whenever it sank low。
Yet； left to himself； he would let the fire go out； and he never knew
enough to pick up a stick in his mouth and lay it on the embers。 This lack
of reasoning powers in his pet perplexed Ferris。
Link could not understand why the same wit which sent Chum half a
mile； of his own accord； in search of one missing sheep out of the entire
flock； should not tell him that a fire is kept alive by the putting of wood on
it。
In search of some better authority on dog intelligence； Link paid his
first visit to Hampton's little public library。 There； shamefacedly； he asked
the boy in charge for some books about dogs。 The youth looked idly for a
few minutes in a crossindex file。 Then he brought forth a tome called 〃The
Double Garden；〃 written by someone who was evidently an Eyetalian or
Polack or other foreigner； because he bore the grievously un…American
name of 〃Maeterlinck〃。
〃This is all I can find about dogs；〃 explained the boy； passing the
linen…jacketed little volume across the counter to Link。 〃First story in it is
an essay on 'Our Friend； the Dog；' the index says。 Want it？〃
That evening； by his kitchen lamp； Ferris read laboriously the Belgian
philosopher's dog essay。 He read it aloudas he had taken to thinking
aloudfor Chum's benefit。 And there were many parts of the immortal
essay from which the man gleaned no more sense than did the collie。
It began with a promising account of a puppy named Pelleas。 But
midway it