134 DOG STORIES 



water and gaily followed the boat ; half way 

 across he and I were both startled by de- 

 spairing howls, and stopping to look back, 

 we saw poor little Sandie running up and 

 down the bank, and bitterly bewailing the 

 cruelty of his two so-called friends in leaving 

 him behind. Hardening my heart, I sat still 

 in silence, and simply watched. Jasper was 

 clearly distressed ; he swam round the boat, 

 and looking up into my face, said unmis- 

 takably with his wise brown eyes, "Why 

 don't you go to the rescue ? " Seeing, how- 

 ever, that I showed no signs of intelligence, 

 he made up his mind to settle the difficulty 

 himself, so turned and swam back to forlorn 

 little Sandie ; there was a moment's pause, I 

 suppose for explanations, and then, to my 

 surprise and amusement, Jasper stood still, 

 half out and half in the water, and Sandie 

 scrambled on to his back, his front paws 

 resting on Jasper's neck, who swam across 

 the lake and landed him safely in the deer- 

 park ! I need not describe the evident pride 

 of the one, or the gratitude of the other. 



ROY, 



