I don't know but they will now. 'Twas a dreadful cold night,
I know. We didn't get home till past three o'clock in the mornin',
either. You remember, don't you, Isaac?"
"I do," said Isaac. "How old Rover worked that night! Couldn't see out
of his eyes, nor hardly wag his clever old tail, for two days; thorns in
both his fore paws, and the last coon took a piece right out of his off
shoulder."
"Why didn't you let Rover come to-night, father?" asked the younger boy.
"I think he knew somethin' was up. He was jumpin' round at a great rate
when I come out of the yard."
"I didn't know but he might make trouble for the other dog," answered
Isaac, after a moment's silence. He felt almost disloyal to the faithful
creature, and had been missing him all the way. "Sh! there's a bark!"
And they all stopped to listen.
The fire was leaping higher; they all sat near it, listening and
talking by turns. There is apt to be a good deal of waiting in a
coon-hunt.
"If Rover was young as he used to be, I'd resk him to tree any coon that
ever run," said the regretful master. "This smart creature o' Topliff's
can't beat him, I know. The poor old fellow's eyesight seems to be
going. Two--three times he's run out at me right in broad day, an'
barked when I come up the yard toward the house, and I did pity him
dreadfully; he was so 'shamed when he found out what he'd done. Rover's
a dog that's got an awful lot o' pride. He went right off out behind the
long barn the last time, and wouldn't come in for nobody when they
called him to supper till I went out myself and made it up with him.
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