According to the passage, how did the author respond inwardly to the sudden appearance of the dog during the grim procession?

Introduction / Context:
This reading comprehension question focuses on the narrator reaction to an unexpected event within a serious setting. The passage describes the walk to the gallows and the sudden arrival of a playful dog. The question asks specifically how the author responded to the dog appearance. To answer correctly, we must distinguish between what the narrator actually reports feeling or doing and what might seem likely in real life but is not stated in the passage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The narrator is part of a group of magistrates and officials escorting a prisoner to the gallows.
• A dog suddenly appears, barking and jumping around, and then runs up to the prisoner to lick his face.
• The text says that everyone stood aghast, too taken aback even to grab at the dog.
• The narrator includes himself in this description of the group reaction.

Concept / Approach:
The key words for this question are everyone stood aghast and too taken aback. Aghast means shocked or filled with sudden wonder and horror. Taken aback means so surprised that one does not know how to react immediately. Because the narrator speaks of everyone in this way, he indirectly reveals his own reaction as part of the group. There is no description of him physically catching the dog, shouting at it, or ignoring it intentionally. Our approach is to choose the option that reflects this shared, momentary stunned reaction.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the sentence that describes the reaction of the group: Everyone stood aghast, too taken aback even to grab at the dog. Step 2: Notice that the narrator speaks in the first person earlier, saying We set out for the gallows, which means he is part of the group he later describes. Step 3: Understand that if everyone stood aghast, the narrator also experienced that surprised stillness. Step 4: Examine the options to see which one best matches being taken aback and not reacting. Step 5: Options describing active behaviours such as jumping at the dog, ignoring it, or yelling at it do not match the described lack of action. Step 6: Conclude that the narrator, like the others, was simply taken aback by the dog appearance.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify this interpretation by checking what actions are actually recorded. The passage does not show anyone grabbing the dog, pushing it away, or calling for help at the moment of its arrival. Instead, it emphasises a brief pause of stunned surprise. This is consistent with the psychological effect of an absurdly cheerful dog suddenly interrupting a solemn and gruesome ritual like a march to the gallows. The narrator describes this moment in collective terms, indicating that his own response was the same as that of the others. This rules out options suggesting that he took independent action and supports the choice that he was taken aback like the rest.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
He jumped at the dog and collared it: The text specifically says that everyone was too taken aback even to grab at the dog, so no one jumps at it or collars it immediately.
He ignored the dog and pretended it was not there: Ignoring would have required a deliberate choice, but the narrative focuses on surprise and inaction, not on conscious pretending.
He yelled at the dog to silence its barking: No shouting or orders are mentioned at this point in the passage; the emphasis is on shock, not on discipline.
He was taken aback as the others: This option matches the wording too taken aback and accurately summarises the narrator response as part of the group.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes assume that authority figures in a passage must act decisively and therefore choose options where the narrator seizes control. However, authors often highlight moments when even officials are surprised into inaction, especially to emphasise the absurd or ironic aspects of a situation. Another pitfall is ignoring collective expressions like everyone and assuming that the narrator stands apart. Paying attention to such collective language helps avoid misinterpretation and leads to more accurate answers in comprehension questions.

Final Answer:
The author did not take any immediate action and, like the others, was taken aback as the dog suddenly appeared.