he affection bestowed upon
him just then seemed to surprise him, and while the boy was still crying
over him, he struggled until he got away, when he limped over to the
corn-bin as a gentle reminder that grain would please him far better
than tears.

During that day and the next Dan spent his time alternately begging for
Crippy's life and petting him; but all to no purpose, so far as inducing
his mother to change her mind was concerned. On the following morning
the gray goose was to be killed, and Dan could see no way to save him.

That afternoon he spent the greater portion of his time with the doomed
Crippy, crying and talking until all the fowls must have wondered what
the matter was, for, there being no almanac in the barn, of course they
could have no idea Thanksgiving was so near. Suddenly Dan thought of a
plan by which Crippy might be saved. It was a desperate one, and almost
frightened him as he thought it over; but with his pet's life in the
balance he could not hesitate at anything.

"I'll tell you what we'll do, Crippy," he said as he succeeded in
making the goose remain quietly in his arms by feeding him with corn.
"Uncle Robert lives in New York, an' he's awful good. I know if we could
find him he could save you. Now I'll get up in the night, an' come out
here for you. It's only seven miles, an' I'm most sure we could walk
there in a day. Then if he won't come out here to see mother,
Thanksgiving will be gone, an' they can't have you for dinner."

Crippy swallowed the corn greedily, and Dan looked upon this as a sign
that he not only understood what had been said, but was eating an
unusually hearty meal by way of preparation for the journey.

Under any less desperate circumstances Dan could not have been persuaded
to go away from home for an hour without asking his mother's permission,
and even as he was situated then, he felt that he was about to do
something which was almost wicked. But since he could save Crippy's life
in no other way, what could he do? He almost felt as if by taking the
goose away he was preventing his parents from committing a crime, for
it could hardly be less than one to kill so intelligent and loving a
creature.

But though he tried to persuade himself that what he was doing was,
under the circumstances, a favor to his parents, there was a big lump in
his throat as he did his work that night, and realized that in a few
hours neither his father nor his mother would know where h