ained the courage to answer.
"Don't be angry with me, Caesar, because I came into the house!" said
he. "It isn't my fault. I have been wounded by a gunshot. It was the
people themselves who laid me in this basket."

"Oho! so it's the folks themselves that have placed you here," said
Caesar. "Then it is surely their intention to cure you; although, for my
part, I think it would be wiser for them to eat you up, since you are in
their power. But, at any rate, you are tabooed in the house. You needn't
look so scared. Now, we're not down on Takern."

With that Caesar laid himself to sleep in front of the blazing log-fire.
As soon as Jarro understood that this terrible danger was past, extreme
lassitude came over him, and he fell asleep anew.

The next time Jarro awoke, he saw that a dish with grain and water stood
before him. He was still quite ill, but he felt hungry nevertheless, and
began to eat. When the mistress saw that he ate, she came up and petted
him, and looked pleased. After that, Jarro fell asleep again. For
several days he did nothing but eat and sleep.

One morning Jarro felt so well that he stepped from the basket and
wandered along the floor. But he hadn't gone very far before he keeled
over, and lay there. Then came Caesar, opened his big jaws and grabbed
him. Jarro believed, of course, that the dog was going to bite him to
death; but Caesar carried him back to the basket without harming him.
Because of this, Jarro acquired such a confidence in the dog Caesar,
that on his next walk in the cottage, he went over to the dog and lay
down beside him. Thereafter Caesar and he became good friends, and every
day, for several hours, Jarro lay and slept between Caesar's paws.

But an even greater affection than he felt for Caesar, did Jarro feel
toward his mistress. Of her he had not the least fear; but rubbed his
head against her hand when she came and fed him. Whenever she went out
of the cottage he sighed with regret; and when she came back he cried
welcome to her in his own language.

Jarro forgot entirely how afraid he had been of both dogs and humans in
other days. He thought now that they were gentle and kind, and he loved
them. He wished that he were well, so he could fly down to Takern and
tell the wild ducks that their enemies were not dangerous, and that they
need not fear them.

He had observed that the human beings, as well as Caesar, had calm eyes,
which it did one good to look into. The only one