Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog, Oscar (1).pdf/5

 5 whiſtled aloud. Oscar well knew the sound, and clinging to the boy's boſom, 'leaned his head upon his thigh, and looked in his face, as if saying, "O Dun- can, protect me from yon ruffian.” The whiſtle was repeated, accompanied by a loud and ſurly call. Os- car trembled, but fearing to diſobey, he limped away reluctantly after his unfeeling maſter, who obſerving him to linger and look back, imagined he wanted to effect his eſcape, and came running back to meet him, Oscar cowered to the earth in the moſt ſubmiſſive and imploring manner, bat the peaſant laid hold of him by the ear, and uttering many imprecations, ſtruck him with a thick ſtaff till he lay senseleſs at his feet. Every poſſible circumſtance ſeemed combined to wound the feelings of poor Duncan, but this unmerit- ed barbarity ſhocked him moſt of all. He haſted to the ſcene of action, weeping bitterly, and telling the man that he was a cruel brute, and that it ever he himself grew a big man, he would certainly kill him. He held up his favourite's head at he might recover his breath, and the man knowing that he could do little without his dog, waited patiently to see what would be the iſſue The animal recovered, and ſtammered away at the heels of his tyrant, without daring to look behind him, Duncan food Gill, but kept his eyes eagerly fixed upon Oscar, and the farther he went from him, the more ſtrong his deſire grew to follow him. He looked the other way, but all there was to him a blank he had no deſire to ſtand where he was, ſo he followed Oscar and the drove of cattle. The cattle were weary and went ſlowly, and Dun- can, getting a little goad in his hand, aſſiſted the men greatly in driving them: One of the drivers gave him a penny, and another gave him twopence : and the lad who had the charge of the drove, obſerving how active and pable he was, and how far he had accom- panied him on the way, gave him ſixpence; this was a treasure to Duncan, who, being extremely hungry,