Then he set out on his return. His load was light, the road was smooth, and his horses, though they had traveled fast, had been driven carefully, and they carried him rapidly over the ground. It was the middle of the afternoon, however, before he set out, and the days were then so short, that the sun soon began to go down. He had to ride quite into the evening, before he reached the place where he was to stop for the night.
He put up his horses, and then went into the house. He called for some supper, for his own provisions had long since been exhausted. After supper, he carried out something for Franco, whom he had left in the sleigh in the barn, lying upon a good warm buffalo, to watch the property.
"Franco," said he, "here is your supper."
Franco jumped up when he heard Jonas's voice, and leaped out of the sleigh. He took his supper, and Jonas, after once more feeding his horses, went out, and shut the door, leaving Franco to finish his bone by himself.
Jonas went back into the tavern, and took his seat by the fire. There was a table before the fire, with a lamp upon it; and there were one or two books and an old newspaper lying upon another table, in the back part of the room. Jonas looked at the books, but they were not interesting to read. One was a dictionary. He read the newspaper for some time, and then he took the lamp up, and began to look at some pictures of the prodigal son, which were hung up upon the wall over the mantel-piece.
Beyond the pictures were some advertisements. One was for a farm for sale. Jonas read the description, and he wished that he was old enough to buy a farm, and then he would go and look at that.
The next advertisement was about some machinery, which a man had invented; and the next was headed, in large letters, Dog Lost. This caught Jonas's attention immediately. It was in writing, and he could not read it very easily, it was so high. So he got a chair, and stood up in it, and read as follows:-
"'DOG LOST.
"'Strayed or stolen from the subscriber, a valuable dog, of large size and black color.'
"I wonder if it isn't Franco," said Jonas, interrupting himself in his reading.
"'He had on a brass collar marked with the owner's name.'
"No," said Jonas, "there was no collar. But then the man that stole him might have taken it off.
"'Answers to the name of Ney.'
"Ney, Ney," said Jonas,-"I never called him Ney. I wonder if he would answer, if I should call him Ney.
"'Is kind and docile, and quite intelligent.'
"Yes," said Jonas, "I verily believe it is Franco.
"'Any person who will return said dog to the subscriber, at his residence at Walton Plain, shall be suitably rewarded.
"'JAMES EDWARDS.'
"I verily believe it is Franco," said Jonas, as he slowly got down from the chair,-"Walton Plain."
He stood a moment, looking thoughtfully into the fire.
"Yes," he repeated, "I verily believe it is Franco. I wonder where Walton Plain is."
Jonas had learned from Mr. Holiday, that it was never wise to communicate important information relating to private business, unless necessary. So he said nothing about Franco to any of the people at the tavern, but quietly went to bed; and, after thinking some time what to do, he went to sleep, and slept finely until morning.
About daylight, he arose, and, as he had paid his bill the night before, he went to the barn, harnessed his horses, and set off. At the first village that he came to after sunrise, he stopped at a store, and inquired whether there was any such town as Walton Plain, in that neighborhood.
"Yes," said the boy, who stood with a broom in his hand, with which he was sweeping out the store,-"yes, it is about five miles from here, right on the way you are going."
Jonas thanked the boy, got into his sleigh, and rode on.
"Poor Franco," said he, "I am afraid I must lose you."
He had hoped that Walton Plain would have proved to be off of his road, so that he could have had a good reason for not doing any thing about restoring the dog, until after he had gone home, and reported the facts to the farmer. But now, as he found that it was on his way, and as he would very probably go directly by Mr. Edwards's door, he concluded that he ought, at any rate, to call and let him look at Franco, and see whether it was his dog or not.
When he reached Walton Plain, he inquired whether Mr. James Edwards lived in the village. They told him that he lived about half a mile out of the village. They said it was a handsome white house, under the trees, back from the road, with a portico over the door.
Jonas rode on, observing all the houses as he passed; and he at once recognized the one which had been described to him. He stopped before the great gate, and fastened his horses to a post. He then walked along a road-way, which led in by the end of the house, and presently came to a door, where he stopped and knocked. A girl came and opened the door.
"Is Mr. Edwards at home?"
"Yes," said the girl.
"Will you ask him to come to the door a minute?"
"You'd better walk in, and I'll speak to him."
[Illustration: Jonas stopping at the house of Mr. Edwards.]
Jonas stepped into an entry, which was carpeted, and which had a large map, hanging against the wall. The girl opened a door into a little room, which looked somewhat like Mr. Holiday's study. There was a great deal of handsome furniture in it, and book-shelves around the walls. A large table was in the middle of the room, covered with books and papers.
The girl handed Jonas a seat.
"Who shall I say has called?" said she to Jonas, as she was about to go out of the room.
"Why-I-my name is Jonas," he replied; "but I don't suppose Mr. Edwards knows me. I came to see him about his dog."
At this remark, the girl looked around towards the fire, and Jonas involuntarily turned his eyes in the same direction. He saw there a large dog, very much like Franco in form and size, lying upon the carpet. He was as handsome as Franco. Jonas was surprised to see him. The girl, too, looked surprised. She, however, said nothing, but went out, and shut the door.
In a few minutes, the door opened, and an elderly gentleman, with grayish hair, and a mild and pleasant expression of countenance, came in. He nodded to Jonas as he entered, and Jonas rose to receive him. The gentleman then took a seat by the fire, and asked Jonas to sit down again.
"I came to see you, sir, about your dog," said Jonas.
"Well, my boy," replied the man, "and what about my dog?" and, as he said this, he looked down at the dog, which was lying upon the floor.
"I don't know but that I have got him."
"You have got him?" repeated Mr. Edwards.
"Yes, sir; a dog like that one came to me in the woods one day this winter."
"O," said Mr. Edwards, "you mean the dog that I lost.-Yes,-I had forgotten that, it is so long ago. When did you find him?"
Jonas then told the whole story of the dog's coming to them, and of their attempt to drive him away; and also of his seeing the advertisement in the tavern. Mr. Edwards asked him a great many questions, such as what his name was, where he lived, and how long he had lived there, and how he happened to be journeying now. At last he said,-
"I think it very probable that it is my dog. I lost one of that description six or eight months ago, and advertised him; but I couldn't hear any thing of him, and so I got another as much like him as I could. It is probable yours is the same dog; but I don't know that there is any particular proof of it. You haven't called him Ney, have you?"
"No, sir," said Jonas; "we call him Franco."
"If he should come at the call of Ney, that would be proof. Where is he now?"
"He is with me, sir; he is out in my sleigh."
"O, well, then," said the man, "we can tell in a moment. I'll step to the door and call him."
So Mr. Edwards put on his hat, and stepped to the door. The dog was standing up in the sleigh, and looking wildly around. When he saw Mr. Edwards, he seemed more excited still.