Daniel Pratt 233 



Daniel seemed still more frantic with excitement. 

 He tugged at my coat, he licked my hand, and sought 

 in every way to pull me toward the burning building; 

 but although my brain was just then so active, my 

 comprehension was dull and I could not understand 

 him. Then he sprang up against my chest, his 

 panting face near mine, and a world of agony, of 

 longing, in his deep brown eyes. How fine, how 

 noble those great eyes were, as even in the confu- 

 sion of the moment I could not help observing them. 

 Alas ! how little did I realize I was seeing them for 

 the last time. He gazed earnestly at me for a mo- 

 ment, and then turned and ran headlong into the 

 burning building. 



I was amazed. Did the dog intend suicide ? 

 Was he crazed by the fire, as horses sometimes are ? 

 I stood motionless, my eyes fixed on the door through 

 which Daniel had disappeared. 



It may have been five minutes, but it seemed to 

 me an hour, when I saw something emerging from 

 the smoke that was pouring in clouds from the door- 

 way at which I gazed. The firemen came up and 

 gathered about it, and for a moment stopped their 



