Page:David Alden's Daughter.djvu/39

Rh legs, planted himself upon the other side of the prostrate body, and fixed a glance of stern inquiry upon the stranger.

"Hi, good dog! 'Tis your master, is it? Well, now, that's well enough, for you shall stay and keep goold while I ride for help. Watch him, good dog; watch him, sir!"

To this superfluous charge Rover vouchsafed no reply save a somewhat contemptuous wave of his tail, but the expression of his face and attitude announced better than words his acceptance of the kind offices of this well-meaning if somewhat impertinent interloper, who evidently was not the person responsible for his master's misfortune.

"That's all as it should be, then, and I'll come to David Alden's in five minutes by the sun-dial," quoth the major, mounting briskly and stirring his fat cob to unusual speed, while Lightfoot, with the precious saddle-bags intact, trotted contentedly beside him.

Rover, a little uneasy at this proceeding, bounded from his master's side to the road, growled faintly, and, leaping against Lightfoot, made a feint of seizing her bridle, but yet in so tentative a fashion that, when the major stooped, and patting his head said, "'Tis all right, good dog; all right! I do but serve thy master, sirrah, and am his friend and helper," Rover accepted the assurance, and, standing in the road with faintly waving tail, watched the horses out of sight before he slowly resumed his position beside his master.