Other times I lay on the floor in the mistress's work-room andslept, she gently using me for a foot-stool, knowing it pleased me, for it wasa caress; other times I spent an hour in the nursery, and got well tousled andmade happy; other times I watched by the crib there, when the baby was asleepand the nurse out for a few minutes on the baby's affairs; other times I rompedand raced through the grounds and the garden with Sadie till we were tired out,then slumbered on the grass in the shade of a tree while she read her book;other times I went visiting among the neighbor dogs -- for there were some mostpleasant ones not far away, and one very handsome and courteous and gracefulone, a curly-haired Irish setter by the name of Robin Adair, who was aPresbyterian like me, and belonged to the Scotch minister.

The servants in our house were all kind to me and were fond of me,and so, as you see, mine was a pleasant life. There could not be a happier dogthat I was, nor a gratefuler one. I will say this for myself, for it is onlythe truth: I tried in all ways to do well and right, and honor my mother'smemory and her teachings, and earn the happiness that had come to me, as best Icould.

By and by came my little puppy, and then my cup was full, myhappiness was perfect. It was the dearest little waddling thing, and so smoothand soft and velvety, and had such cunning little awkward paws, and suchaffectionate eyes, and such a sweet and innocent face; and it made me so proudto see how the children and their mother adored it, and fondled it, andexclaimed over every little wonderful thing it did. It did seem to me that lifewas just too lovely to --

Then came the winter. One day I was standing a watch in the nursery.That is to say, I was asleep on the bed. The baby was asleep in the crib, whichwas alongside the bed, on the side next the fireplace. It was the kind of cribthat has a lofty tent over it made of gauzy stuff that you can see through. Thenurse was out, and we two sleepers were alone. A spark from the wood-fire wasshot out, and it lit on the slope of the tent. I suppose a quiet intervalfollowed, then a scream from the baby awoke me, and there was that tent flamingup toward the ceiling! Before I could think, I sprang to the floor in myfright, and in a second was half-way to the door; but in the next half-secondmy mother's farewell was sounding in my ears, and I was back on the bed again.,I reached my head through the flames and dragged the baby out by thewaist-band, and tugged it along, and we fell to the floor together in a cloudof smoke; I snatched a new hold, and dragged the screaming little creaturealong and out at the door and around the bend of the hall, and was still tuggingaway, all excited and happy and proud, when the master's voice shouted:

"Begone you cursed beast!" and I jumped to save myself;but he was furiously quick, and chased me up, striking furiously at me with hiscane, I dodging this way and that, in terror, and at last a strong blow fellupon my left foreleg, which made me shriek and fall, for the moment, helpless;the came went up for another blow, but never descended, for the nurse's voicerang wildly out, "The nursery's on fire!" and the master rushed awayin that direction, and my other bones were saved.