Had he been situated to see, he would have seen a twinkle in Skipper's eyes, which had been withdrawn from the sea and were looking down upon him.

But Jerry could not see.

He kept quiet a little longer, and then gave a prodigious sniff.
This was too much for Skipper, who laughed with such genial heartiness as to lay Jerry's silky ears back and down in self-deprecation of affection and pleadingness to bask in the sunshine of the god's smile.

Also, Skipper's laughter set Jerry's tail wildly bobbing.

The half-open hand closed in a firm grip that gathered in the slack of the skin of one side of Jerry's head and jowl.