40 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



*' who comes of an evening to kill the deer in their 

 " retreat." A fhort time after, the barking of the 

 dog redoubled, " 1 have an idea," faid Firginiuy 

 ** that it is Fidèle, our cottage dog ; yes, 1 recol- 

 *' lea: his voice : is it poflible that we fhould be 

 *' fo near our journey's end, and at the foot of our 

 '■mountain?" In trqth, a moment afterwards. 

 Fidèle was at their feet, barkings howling, groan- 

 ing, and loading them with careffes. Before they 

 had recovered from their furprize, they perceived 

 DomingOy who was running toward them. At the 

 fight of this worthy negro, who wept with joy, 

 they alfo (bed tears, without being able to fay one 

 word. When Domingo had a little recovered hina- 

 felf ; *' Oh, my young matters," faid he to them, 

 ** what diftrefs your mothers are in! how aflo- 

 ^' pilhed they were at not finding you, on their 

 ** rpturn from mafs, whither 1 had accompanied 

 *^ them ! Mary, who was at work in a corner of 

 " the plantation, could not tell whither you were 

 *' gone : I wandered about the plantation, not 

 *' knowing myfelf where to feek you : At length, 

 *' I took the old clothes, which you ufedto wear*; 

 *' I made Fidèle fmell to them j and, as if the 

 *' poor anirpal had underftood me, he immedi- 



* This trait of fagacity in the biack Domingo^ and his dog 

 Fidèle, very much refembles that pf the favage Tenuenifa^ and 

 his dog Oniah, mentioned by M. de Crevecœur^ in his humane 

 Work, entitled, Letters of an Anierium Farmer. 



i* ately 



