d old gentleman dashed out of Stagg's
Place and gripping a walking stick madly waved it on high. Spying
Sandy he sensed probable help.

"Boy!" he shouted lustily, "stop that man! It's--it's life or death.
Stop him! Send him back and I'll give you a dollar."

Sandy rallied his last remnants of strength and turned about. Off in
the distance he saw the mounted postman jogging on his way toward the
village and he dashed ahead! Bob, with his smouldering puppy nature
coming unexpectedly to his help, scampered on, crazily barking and
yelping as he had never permitted himself to do in the guarded past.

The postman, at last, heard the commotion and stopped short.

"You are to go back!" Sandy panted; "it's life or--death."

The horse was turned about and in the mud raised by the retreating
hoofs the boy and dog followed wearily.

Whatever the matter was that had caused the confusion, it was adjusted
by the time Sandy again reached the house. The old gentleman,
muttering about a weak leg and a degenerate rascal, was sitting on the
piazza fanning himself with a panama hat, while a thin, eager-eyed
woman urged him to calm himself before worse harm was done.

"The Lord will provide, Levi," she was saying, as Sandy and his dog
approached. "His ways are not our ways, but we might as well give
credit where credit is due. His leadings are generally clearer sighted
than ours be, having--as you might say--wider scope to scan." Then she
glanced at the dirty, worn pair on the steps.

"Shoo!" she ejaculated, but neither dog nor boy stirred.

"What do you want?" she next asked.

"What--he said he would--give!" and then to complicate matters Sandy
rolled over in a huddled heap and fainted dead away! Bob, bereft and
frightened, hovered over him, emitting yelps and howls that shattered
the summer calm.

The Markhams only took their meals at Stagg's Place; a small cottage
near by was their lodging rooms, and to that Levi Markham ordered two
coloured boys to carry the prostrate Sandy.

An hour later Matilda Markham sat beside the couch in the shaded
living-room and looked thoughtfully upon the form stretched thereon.
From outside the voice of her brother came appealing to all that was
reasonable and sensible in Bob.

"Of course you can see your master, my good fellow. Just be patient,
patient!"

Levi Markham liked all animals, and something about Bob's rugged
ugliness and faithfulness called forth his admiration and sym