But Daisy did nothing of the kind; she merely took something that was flat and broad and white, and fastened it round his neck with a very ornamental bow and ribbon. Then she opened the French windows, and said in rather a chilly voice, 'Now run away and get on your nasty steamer and beg, and see what you get by it!' That seemed, as far as he could tell, very sensible advice, and, oddly enough, it was exactly what he had been intending to do. It did not strike him as particularly strange that Daisy should know, because Don was a dog that didn't go very deeply into matters unless he was obliged. He trotted off at an easy pace down to the village, getting hungrier every minute, and hoping that the people on the steamer would have brought nice things to-day, when, close to the turning that led to the landing-stage, he met Jock, and was naturally obliged to stop for a few moments' conversation. He was not at all pleased to see him notwithstanding, for I am sorry to say that Don's greediness had so grown upon him of late that he was actually afraid that his humble friend (who was a little slow to find out when he wasn't wanted) would accompany him on to the steamboat, and then of course the good things would have to be divided. However, Don was a dog that was always scrupulously polite, even to his fellow-dogs, and he did not like to be rude now. 'Hullo!' said Jock (in dogs' language of course, but I have reason to believe that what follows is as nearly as possible what was actually said). 'What's the matter with you this morning?' Don replied that he was rather out of sorts, and was going down to a certain lane for a dose of dog-grass. 'A little dog-grass won't do _me_ any harm,' said Jock; 'I'll come too.' This was awkward, but Don pretended to be glad, and they went a little way together. 'But what's that thing round your neck?' asked the Dandie Dinmont. 'Oh,' said Don, 'that? It's a bit of finery they put on me at the cottage. It pleases _them_, you know. Think it's becoming?' 'Um,' answered Jock; 'reminds me of a thing a friend of mine used to wear. But _he_ had a blind man tied to him. I don't see _your_ blind man.' 'They would have given me a blind man of course if I'd asked for it,' said Don airily, 'but what's the use of a blind man--isn't he rather a bore?' 'I didn't ask; but my friend said he believed the thing round his neck, which was flat and white just like yours (only he had a tin mug underneath his), made people more inclined to give him things--he didn't know why. Do _you_ find that?' 'How stupid of Daisy to forget the mug!' thought Don. 'I could have brought things home to eat quietly then.--I don't know,' he replied to Jock; 'I haven't tried.' He meant to put it to the test very soon, though--if only he could get rid of Jock. 'By the way,' he said carelessly, 'have you been round by the hotel lately?' 'No,' answered Jock, 'not since the ostler threw a brush at me.'