"Here, Ney," said Mr. Edwards.
The dog leaped down from the sled, and came bounding up the road. He leaped first about Mr. Edwards, and then about Jonas, as if at a loss which was his master.
"Why, Ney," said Mr. Edwards,-"poor Ney,-have you got back at last? Come, walk in, Ney."
Ney slipped in through the door, and turned immediately into the little room, as if he was perfectly familiar with the localities. Jonas and Mr. Edwards followed. They shut the door, and took their seats again. Ney ran around the room, and examined every thing. He looked at the strange dog lying so comfortably in his old place upon the warm carpet, and then came and gazed up eagerly into his old master's face a moment. He came to Jonas, and wagged his tail, and then he went to the door and whined, as if he wanted to go out.
"Won't you let him out?" said Mr. Edwards. "We will see what he will do."
Jonas opened the door, and the dog ran out into the entry, and then made the same signs to have the outer door opened. Jonas opened it, and let him out. Jonas stepped out himself a moment, to see what he would do, and presently returned again to the room where he had left Mr. Edwards.
"Where did he go?" said Mr. Edwards.
"He has run to the sleigh," said Jonas, "and jumped up into it, and is lying down on the buffalo."
"The dog seems to have become attached to you, Jonas," said Mr. Edwards, "and I presume that you have become somewhat attached to him."
"Yes, sir, very much indeed," replied Jonas.
Mr. Edwards was silent a few minutes, appearing lost in thought.
"I hardly know what to say about this dog," he continued, at length. "You did very right to come and let me know about him. I am afraid that some boys would have kept him, without saying any thing about it. I am glad that you were honest. I valued the dog very much, and would have given a large sum to have recovered him, when he was first lost. But I have got another now, and don't really need two. Should you be disposed to buy him?"
"Yes, sir," said Jonas, "if I could. But I haven't got but a dollar at my command, and I suppose he is worth more than that."
Jonas had a dollar of his own. Mr. Holiday had given it to him when he left his house, thinking it probable that he would want to buy something for himself. Jonas had taken this money with him when he left the farmer's, intending to expend a part of it in the market town; but he did not see any thing that he really wanted, and so the money was in his pocket now.
"Why, yes," said Mr. Edwards, "I gave a great deal more for him than that. Haven't you any more money with you?"
"Not of my own," said Jonas.
"I suppose you got some for your produce."
"Yes, sir," said Jonas; "but it belongs to the farmer that I work with."
"And don't you think that he would be willing to have you pay a part of it for the dog?"
"I don't know, sir," said Jonas. "I know he likes the dog very much, but I have no authority to buy him with his money."
If Jonas had been willing to have used his employer's money without authority, Mr. Edwards would not have taken it. He made the inquiry to see whether Jonas was trustworthy.
After a few minutes' pause, Mr. Edwards resumed the conversation, as follows:-
"Well, Jonas," said he, "I have been thinking of this a little, and have concluded to let you keep the dog for me a little while,-that is, if he is willing to go with you. But remember he is my property still, and I shall have a right to call for him, whenever I choose, and you must give him up to me."
"Yes, sir," said Jonas, "I will. And I wish that you would not agree to sell him to any body else, without letting me know."
"Well," replied Mr. Edwards, "I will not. So you may take him, and keep him till I send for him,-that is, provided he will go with you of his own accord. I can't drive him away from his old home."
Jonas thanked Mr. Edwards, and rose to go. Mr. Edwards took his hat, and followed him to the door, to see whether the dog would go willingly. When he was upon the step, he called him.
"Ney," said he, "Ney."
Ney looked up, and, in a moment afterwards, jumped out of the sleigh, and came running up to the door.
"Now," continued Mr. Edwards, "if you can call him back, while I am standing here, it is pretty good proof that you have been kind to him, and that he would like to go with you."
So Jonas walked down towards the gate, looking back, and calling,-
"Franco, Franco, Franco!"
The dog ran down towards him a little way, and then stopped, looked back, and, after a moment's pause, he returned a few steps towards his former master. He seemed a little at a loss to know which to choose.
Jonas got into his sleigh.
"Franco!" said he.
Franco looked at him, then at Mr. Edwards, then at Jonas; and finally he went back to the door, and began to lick his old master's hand.
Jonas turned his horses' heads a little towards the road, and moved them on a step.
"Come, Franco," said he; "Franco, come."
Franco, hearing these words, and seeing that Jonas was actually going, seemed to come to a final decision. He leaped off the steps, and bounded down the road, through the gate, and jumped up into Jonas's sleigh. Mr. Edwards continued to call him, but he paid no attention to it. He curled down before Jonas a moment, then he raised himself up a little, so as to look back towards the house; but he showed no disposition to get out again. Jonas put his hand upon his head, and patted it gently as he drove away; and, when he found that Franco was really going with him, he turned his head back, and said, with a look of great satisfaction,-
"Good-by, sir. I'm very much obliged to you."
"Good-by, Jonas. Take good care of Ney."
"Yes, sir," said he, "I certainly will."
"You're a good dog, Franco," he continued, patting his head, "to come with me,-very good dog, Franco, to choose the coarse hay for a bed under the old General's crib, rather than that good warm carpet, for the sake of coming with me. I'll make you a little house, Franco,-I certainly will, and I'll put a carpet on the floor. I'll make it as soon as I get home."
And Jonas did, the next evening after he got home, make Franco a house, just big enough for him; and he found an old piece of carpet to put upon the floor. He put Franco in; but the next morning he found him in his old place under the General's crib. Franco liked that place better. The truth was, it was rather warmer; and then, besides, he liked the old General's company.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER V. SIGNS OF A STORM
One evening early in February, the farmer told Jonas that his work, the next day, would be to get out four or five bushels of corn and grain, and go to mill. Accordingly, after he had got through with his morning's work of taking care of the stock, he took a half-bushel measure, and several bags, and went into the granary. The granary was a small, square building, with narrow boards and wide cracks between them on the south side. The building itself was mounted on posts at the four corners, with flat stones upon the top of the posts, for the corners to rest upon.
The open work upon the side was to let the air in, to dry the corn; and the high posts and the flat stones were to keep the mice from getting in and eating it up.
Jonas put a short board across the top of the half-bushel, and sat upon it. Then he began taking the corn and shelling it off from the cob, by rubbing it against the edge of the board. As he sat thus at work, he occasionally looked up, and he could see out of the open door of the granary, into the farm-yards.
It was a very pleasant morning. The sun shone beautifully; and now and then a drop fell from the roof on the south side of the barn. The cattle were standing, basking in the sun, in the barn-yard, and in the sheds, where the sun could shine in upon them. The whole area of the barn-yard was trodden smooth and hard by the footsteps of the cattle; and broad and smooth paths had been worn in every direction, about the house. Behind the barn was a large sheep-yard, also well worn with the footsteps of the sheep. A great many sheep were there,-now and then eating hay from a long rack, which extended across the yard.