Dick and His Cat and Other Tales Part 4

11. The man looked at me as if he doubted what I meant, and he seemed to think that I must be crazy to wish to buy a dinner for a dog.

12. But when he saw that I was in earnest, he quickly fetched a great heap of sc.r.a.ps and bones, which he put down outside the door.

13. Upon these my dog friend fell, as if he had been a starving wolf, but he did not forget to glance up at me before he began with such a grateful look, and to give his tail one quick wag of thanks.

14. I could not wait to see him eat as much as he liked. "I must be off," said I to the man.

15. "Here Johnny," called the master of the shop, when I was going away, "just come here, and keep your eye on this stray dog; see that he is not driven away till he has eaten all he wants, and fetch him a drop of water."

16. I thanked the man for his kindness and paid for the meat, and I did not forget to leave a penny for the little boy who was keeping guard over the poor dog.

_Write:_ The poor dog was taken to a shop and well fed. The kind man who bought him a meal took care that he was not driven away till he had eaten it.

Questions: 1. How did the landlord show that he was not a truly kind and good man? 2. What did the poor dog do when the traveller pa.s.sed out at the gate? 3. Where did the kind man take the dog? 4. What did he give the dog in the shop?

5. Why could not he wait to see the dog eat? 6. Who watched while the dog ate his meal?

3. LOST ON THE MOOR.

1. As I went along, more than one person who pa.s.sed me on the way said, "We shall have a wild night, sir, I advise you to hurry into shelter."

2. As I set foot upon the first part of the wide, open moor, where the narrow path could hardly be seen in the twilight, a few flakes of snow began to fall.

3. For a moment I began to wonder whether it would not be better, even now, to turn back and stay in the town for that night.

4. But thinking that my wife and dear little girl would be both sorry and anxious when I did not appear, I put a stout heart into the matter, and strode boldly forward.

5. The snowflakes came down thicker and faster, my beard and the front of my coat were quite white, the great brown moor changed first to a grey, and then to pure dazzling white too.

6. The whirling flakes blinded me, I felt giddy from the cold. The storm was now upon me with full fury, the wind almost lifted me from my feet.

7. I trusted that the sudden gale would soon pa.s.s over, and folding my arms close to my body, tried to struggle forward still. But so far from getting better, the weather grew worse each moment.

8. With a dreadful feeling of despair, I found that I could no longer find my way. I did not know where my home lay, nor how I must turn my face in order to reach it. I cried to G.o.d for mercy.

9. I now felt that I had been very foolish in trying to get across the moor on such a night. Perhaps I might never see my wife and dear child again.

10. The bitter wind seemed to pierce through my clothes, I was fast getting drowsy and ready to fall down. Then the snow would soon have buried me, and no one would have seen me alive again.

11. A groan broke from my lips as I looked around at the waste of snow, but I was at the same instant startled to hear a low, plaintive whine close at hand.

12. I turned and saw a large, thin, starved-looking dog sitting close behind. He gazed in a troubled way into my face, when I turned round.

It was my poor fellow of the inn door!

13. As he crept along over the snow to my feet, he seemed with the same humble love to say, "Do not send me away, let me come with you. You are the only person who has shown me mercy."

14. I stooped and patted him on the head. "Good dog!" I said, "have you found me out? Come now, I wish you could show me the way home, or else I am afraid we shall both be frozen to death."

15. He seemed to know what I meant in some strange way, and just then I heard far off a church clock strike, which I knew must be in the town I had left behind.

16. This was a help, for I now knew that if I turned my back on the place from which the sound came, I should be right in keeping straight on.

_Write:_ The storm grew worse. When the man had lost his way on the moor, he saw the dog which he had fed at the inn sitting behind him.

Questions: 1. What did more than one person say as the man began his walk? 2. As he began to cross the moor, what did he see? 3. Did the weather grow any better? 4. What did he see sitting close to him when he turned round? 5. What did the dog seem to say? 6. What did the traveller hear far off?

4. TRUSTY FINDS THE WAY.

1. I pointed out to the dog the way I wished to go, and with a wag of his tail, the wise creature trotted on slowly in front. He seemed to feel that he had the charge of me and had been trusted.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A BITTER NIGHT.]

2. We had not gone far before he gave a whine, and coming quite close to me, stared in my face, and changed his course. He seemed to beg me to turn aside to the right.

3. I went as he asked me, and as I was going, I tried with my stick to poke the ground from which the dog had wished to turn. I wanted to know why he was not willing to let me tread just there.

4. I found that a deep pond, over which a slight cover of ice and snow were spread, was close beside us. It was an old pit in which water had frozen.

5. Had I set my foot on it I must have sunk down and I never could have risen. "A few inches closer to the edge and I must have been drowned!"

cried I aloud, and did not forget to thank G.o.d for the escape.

6. The dog now stopped a few feet off as if to watch whether I was coming, and again trotted forward as I praised him and began to follow.

7. Soon he gave a second whine, and again seemed to wish me to turn aside. I trod in his footprints, and again was safe. I was now nearly ready to faint from cold.

8. "Go on, good dog," said I to my faithful guide, "lead me home quickly, or I shall die." He gave a hoa.r.s.e bark in reply, as if to bid me keep a good heart.

9. I was just falling down, for I could walk no further, when he gave a short, eager bark of joy; at least it seemed like joy, I thought, but my ears were deaf, and my eyes dim.

10. I gave one last hopeless glance around, and saw something large and dark in front. It was a wooden shed, the black inside of which showed plainly against the whiteness all around.

11. I knew that it must be one of the huts which the men used who were digging peat on the moor, and the thought filled me with terror, for I knew that these huts were very far away from my home.

12. But all other feelings went from me now; I had a strong wish to rest, and that was all. I crept into the hut and lay down, thinking that I would wait there till the storm was over.

13. The dog came in after me, and laid himself down close to my side. I felt more sleepy than I had ever done in my life before, my eyes ached, and bright lights seemed to be flas.h.i.+ng in front of them.

14. I thought of my home, wife, and child, and then sleep stole upon me. Once I woke with the hoa.r.s.e bark of the dog ringing in my ears. He was doing his best to wake me from the sleep which must end in death out there on the bitter moor.

15. A second time he roused me, and I felt that he had now crept very close to my breast, and with his fore paws resting on my shoulders, was licking my face with his warm tongue.

16. In the act of stroking him and speaking a kindly word, I again sank to sleep, and after that I forgot all about the dog, the shed, and the cold moor. I dreamt of home, my little girl, and my dear wife.