86 THE STRIKE AT SHANE'S. 



* ' I actually believe the horse is trying to ask my 

 pardon," said Shane. "It would be more proper for 

 me to ask his pardon for mistreating him so long." 



He patted Dick's neck and said, "I think we under- 

 stand each other now, old fellow." 



"I tell ye, Misther Shane, I never see horses work 

 nicer than these same horses of yours," said Mike. 

 "I think we'll have Dobbin prancin' around again 

 purty soon." 



"Poor old Dobbin. I'm afraid he'll not get much 

 more enjoyment out of life, but he shall have an easy 

 time of it as long as he lives." 



But ere another year had gone by old Dobbin found 

 a resting place beneath the sod, and the question was 

 again asked, " Who knowefi that the sjnrlt of man 

 goeth upivard and the spirit of the beast goeth down- 

 ward .^ " God created him and made him subject to the 

 will of man, and in the end God took him. The part 

 that was mortal went back to the earth. If there was 

 any immortal element in him God took it and knows 

 what to do with it. 



The work went on merrily on the Shane farm, and 

 everything prospered. The birds did their duty nobly, 

 and the crops were looking splendidly. Shane com- 

 pletely recovered from his broken limb, and people 

 remarked that Shane didn't seem like the same man he 

 used to be. He had learned that the birds were his 

 friends ; he had watched them in their work during the 

 summer, and noticed how diligent they were in 

 searching for insects. They took a few cherries and 

 berries, it is true, but when he came to estimate the 



