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〃You must allow me to know my own dog； sir；〃 said the colonel。 〃Why；
I've had him from a pup。 Bingo； old boy； you know your name； don't
you？〃
But the brute ignored him altogether； and began to leap wildly at the
hedge in frantic efforts to join the Frenchman。 It needed no Solomon
to decide /his/ ownership！
〃I tell you； you 'ave got ze wrong poodleit is my own dog； my Azor！
He remember me well； you see？ I lose him； it is three； four
days。 。 。 。 I see a nottice zat he is found； and ven I go to ze
address zey tell me； 'Oh； he is reclaim； he is gone viz a strangaire
who has advertise。' Zey show me ze placard； I follow 'ere； and ven I
arrive I see my poodle in ze garden before me！〃
〃But look here；〃 said the colonel； impatiently； 〃it's all very well to
say that； but how can you prove it？ I give you /my/ word that the dog
belongs to /me/！ You must prove your claim； eh； Travers？〃
〃Yes；〃 said Travers； judicially； 〃mere assertion is no proof； it's
oath against oath at present。〃
〃Attend an instant； your poodle； was he 'ighly train； had he some
talentsa dog viz tricks； eh？〃
〃No； he's not；〃 said the colonel； 〃I don't like to see dogs taught to
play the fool； there's none of that nonsense about /him/； sir！〃
〃Ah； remark him well； then。 /Azor； mon chou； danse donc un peu/！〃
And； on the foreigner's whistling a lively air； that infernal poodle
rose on his hind legs and danced solemnly about half…way round the
garden！ We inside followed his movements with dismay。
〃Why； dash it all！〃 cried the disgusted colonel； 〃he's dancing along
like a dd mountebank！ But it's my Bingo； for all that！〃
〃You are not convince？ You shall see more。 /Azor； ici！ Pour Beesmarck；
Azor！/〃 （the poodle barked ferociously。） 〃/Pour Gambetta！/〃 （He wagged
his tail and began to leap with joy。） /〃Meurs pour la patrie！〃 And the
too accomplished animal rolled over as if killed in battle！
〃Where could Bingo have picked up so much French？〃 cried Lilian；
incredulously。
〃Or so much French history？〃 added that serpent； Travers。
〃Shall I command 'im to jump； or reverse 'imself？〃 inquired the
obliging Frenchman。
〃We've seen that； thank you；〃 said the colonel； gloomily。 〃Upon my
word； I don't know what to think。 It can't be that that's not my Bingo
after allI'll never believe it！〃
I tried a last desperate stroke。 〃Will you come round to the front？〃 I
said to the Frenchman。 〃I'll let you in； and we can discuss the matter
quietly。〃 Then； as we walked back together； I asked him eagerly what
he would take to abandon his claims and let the colonel think the
poodle was his after all。
He was furioushe considered himself insulted； with great emotion he
informed me that the dog was the pride of his life （it seems to be the
mission of black poodles to serve as domestic comforts of this
priceless kind！）； that he would not part with him for twice his weight
in gold。
〃Figure；〃 he began； as we joined the others； 〃zat zis gentilman 'ere
'as offer me money for ze dog！ He agrees zat it is to me； you see？
Ver' well； zen； zere is no more to be said！〃
〃Why； Weatherhead； have /you/ lost faith too； then？〃 said the colonel。
I saw it was no good； all I wanted now was to get out of it creditably
and get rid of the Frenchman。 〃I'm sorry to say；〃 I replied； 〃that I'm
afraid I've been deceived by the extraordinary likeness。 I don't
think； on reflection； that that /is/ Bingo！〃
〃What do you think； Travers？〃 asked the colonel。
〃Well； since you ask me；〃 said Travers； with quite unnecessary
dryness； 〃I never did think so。〃
〃Nor I；〃 said the colonel； 〃I thought from the first that was never my
Bingo。 Why； Bingo would make two of that beast！〃
And Lilian and her aunt both protested that they had had their doubts
from the first。
〃Zen you pairmeet zat I remove 'im？〃 said the Frenchman。
〃Certainly；〃 said the colonel； and； after some apologies on our part
for the mistake； he went off in triumph； with the detestable poodle
frisking after him。
When he had gone the colonel laid his hand kindly on my shoulder。
〃Don't look so cut up about it； my boy；〃 he said； 〃you did your best
there was a sort of likeness to any one who didn't know Bingo as we
did。〃
Just then the Frenchman again appeared at the hedge。 〃A thousand
pardons；〃 he said； 〃but I find zis upon my dog； it is not to me。
Suffer me to restore it viz many compliments。〃
It was Bingo's collar。 Travers took it from his hand and brought it to
us。
〃This was on the dog when you stopped that fellow； didn't you say？〃 he
asked me。
One more lieand I was so weary of falsehood！ 〃Y…yes；〃 I said；
reluctantly； 〃that was so。〃
〃Very extraordinary；〃 said Travers； 〃that's the wrong poodle beyond a
doubt； but when he's found he's wearing the right dog's collar！ Now
how do you account for that？〃
〃My good fellow；〃 I said； impatiently； 〃I'm not in the witness…box。 I
/can't/ account for it。 It…it's a mere coincidence！〃
〃But look here； my /dear/ Weatherhead；〃 argued Travers （whether in
good faith or not I never could quite make out）； 〃don't you see what a
tremendously important link it is？ Here's a dog who （as I understand
the facts） had a silver collar； with his name engraved on it； round
his neck at the time he was lost。 Here's that identical collar turning
up soon afterward round the neck of a totally different dog！ We must
follow this up； we must get at the bottom of it somehow！ With a clue
like this； we're sure to find out either the dog himself； or what's
become of him！ Just try to recollect exactly what happened； there's a
good fellow。 This is just the sort of thing I like！〃
It was the sort of thing I did not enjoy at all。 〃You must excuse me
to…night； Travers；〃 I said； uncomfortably； 〃you see； just now it's
rather a sore subject for me； and I'm not feeling very well！〃 I was
grateful just then for a reassuring glance of pity and confidence from
Lilian's sweet eyes； which revived my drooping spirits for the moment。
〃Yes； we'll go into it to…morrow； Travers；〃 said the colonel； 〃and
thenhullo； why； there's that confounded Frenchman /again/！〃
It was indeed； he came prancing back delicately； with a malicious
enjoyment on his wrinkled face。 〃Once more I return to apologise；〃 he
said。 〃My poodle 'as permit 'imself ze grave indiscretion to make a
very big 'ole at ze bottom of ze garden！〃
I assured him that it was of no consequence。 〃Perhaps；〃 he replied；
looking steadily at me through his keen； half…shut eyes； 〃you vill not
say zat ven you regard ze 'ole。 And you others； I spik to you：
sometimes von loses a somzing vich is qvite near all ze time。 It is
ver' droll； eh？ my vord； ha； ha； ha！〃 And he ambled off； with an
aggressively fiendish laugh that chilled my blood。
〃What the deuce did he mean by that； eh？〃 said the colonel； blankly。
〃Don't know；〃 said Travers； 〃suppose we go and inspect the hole？〃
But before that I had contrived to draw near it myself； in deadly fear
lest the Frenchman's last words had contained some innuendo which I
had not understood。
It was light enough still for me to see something； at the unexpected
horror of which I very nearly fainted。
That thrice accursed poodle which I had been insane enough to attempt
to foist upon the colonel must； it seems； have buried his supper the
night before very near the spot in which I had laid Bingo； and in his
attempts to exhume his bone had brought the remains of my victim to
the surface！
There the corpse lay； on the very top of the excavations。 Time had
not； of course； improved its appearance； which was ghastly in the
extreme； but still plainly recognisable by the eye of affection。
〃It's a very ordinary hole；〃 I gasped； putting myself before it and
trying to turn them back。 〃Nothing in itnothing at all！〃
〃Except one Algernon Weatherhead； Esq。； eh？〃 whispered Travers；
jocosely； in my ear。
〃No； but；〃 persisted the colonel； advancing； 〃look here！ Has the dog
damaged any of your shrubs？〃
〃No； no！〃 I cried； piteously； 〃quite the reverse。 Let's all go indoors
now； it's getting so cold！〃
〃See； there /is/ a shrub or something uprooted；〃 said the colonel；
still coming nearer that fatal hole。 〃Why； hullo； look there！ What's
that？〃
Lilian； who was by his side； gave a slight scream。 〃Uncle；〃 she cried；
〃it looks likelike /Bingo/！〃
The colonel turned suddenly upon me。 〃Do you hear？〃 he demanded； in a
choked voice。 〃You hear what she says？ Can't you speak out？ Is that
our Bingo？〃
I gave it up at last； I only longed to be allowed to crawl away under
something！ 〃Yes；〃 I said in a dull whisper； as I sat down heavily on a
garden seat； 〃yes 。 。 。 that's Bingo 。 。 。 misfortune 。 。 。 shoot him
。 。 。 quite an accident！〃
There was a terrible explosion after that； they saw at last how I had
deceived them； and put the very worst con