im perception of
his actual surroundings. "These are they who have kissed me, embraced
me, wept over me, as though I were going to die. Will they do so still?
I think not; for they mean it for Sprigg, and Sprigg is dead
already--passed away into nothing. They shall never see their old Sprigg
again--never, never, never! But they may call me Sprigg if they like.
And this pretty woman here, who is laughing and crying both at once, I
will call her mother. And this big man, who looks glad enough to laugh
and sorry enough to cry, and can't do either, I will call him father."

Sprigg never called them "pap" and "mam" again, the longest day he
lived. Neither did Jervis and Elster ever again, the longest day they
lived, say "my dear son," without putting in the fond words as much
silver for will, as gold for love.

"Yes, and that is just the way it really is, after all! Father, mother;
yes, and grandpap, too, and grandmam, and others whose names I ought to
know, but do not. All are here--none missing. No, not all, either; I do
not see dear old Pow-wow. And I must see him. He will make me laugh, and
I must laugh, or I may die yet. I thought I heard him bark but now."

CHAPTER XXII.

Pow-wow.

Pow-wow had not barked within hearing of the fort since the evening he
had found his little master down there at the foot of the precipice. He
had gone and come, hastening back when he went, lingering when he
came--a silent, sad and thoughtful dog. By some inscrutable operation of
instinct he had soon discovered that the errands which led Ben and
Bertha daily abroad had a reference in some way to the wants of his
unfortunate little friend, and that, therefore, it was his bounden duty
to lend a helping hand. Accordingly he had divided his time about
equally between the two young people; helping the one about the wild
herds of the forest, the other about the tame herds of the field. In the
morning he would follow the young hunter to the distant lick, and,
having acquitted himself in the chase, with his wonted address, he would
hasten back to the fort, leaving his companion to follow at that
plodding pace peculiar to two-footed animals, and so irksome to dogs, to
accommodate themselves to which they must needs trot out, on a magnified
scale, the ground plan of a straggling worm fence, with wide digression
to right and left; now to sniff at a stump, then to bark down a
sinkhole. In the afternoon he would accompany Bertha to the blue