ed at me. I guess it was just playing, because, as I remember it
now, it was wagging its tail, and afterward I found out it was only a
cocker spaniel; but I thought it was a wolf and was going to eat me. I
begun to cry, and I was afraid to go backward or to go forward. And by
and by a little girl came along and asked me what I was crying about,
and I said, 'About the dawg!' And the little girl said: 'O-oh! He's big,
ain't he?' And I said, 'He's goin' to eat one of us all up!' And the
little girl said: 'Aw, don't you care! You take a-holt of my hand and
I'll run past with you; and if he bites he'll bite me first and you can
git away!' She was as scared as I was, but she grabbed my hand and we
got by without being et up. Do you remember who that little girl was?"

The hand in his seemed to remember. The fingers of it closed on his a
moment, then relaxed as if to listen for more. He mused on:

"I wasn't very big for my size even then, and I wasn't very brave ever.
I didn't like to fight, like the other boys did, and I used to rather
take a lickin' than give one. Well, one day I was playin' marbles with
another boy, and he said I cheated when I won his big taw; but I didn't.
He wanted to fight, though, and he hit me; and I wouldn't hit back. He
was smaller than what I was, and he give me a lot of lip and dared me to
fight; and I just couldn't. He said I was afraid, and so did the other
boys; and I guess I was. It seemed to me I was more afraid of hurtin'
somebody else than gettin' hurt myself; but I guess I was just plain
afraid. The other boys began to push me round and call me a cowardy
calf, and I began to cry. I wanted to run home, but I was afraid to
start to run. And then a little girl came along and said: 'What's the
matter, Eddie? What you cryin' for?' And I said, 'They're all pickin' on
me and callin' me cowardy calf!' And she said: 'Don't you care! You come
right along with me; and if one of 'em says another word to you I'll
scratch their nasty eyes out!' Do you remember that, Pheeny?"

Her other hand came forward and embraced his wrist.

"And another time you found me cryin'. I was a little older, and I'd
studied hard and tried to get my lessons good; but I failed in the
exam'nations, and I was goin' to tie a rock round my neck and jump in
the pond. But you said: 'Aw, don't you care, Eddie! I didn't pass in
mine, either!'

"And when I wanted to go to college, and Uncle Loren wouldn't send me, I
didn't cry out