228 THE CARDINAL FLOWER 



" I've raised him from a puppy," he said, " and 

 taught him about the woods and things until he 

 knows almost as much as I do. He's the brightest 

 dog in this county, but he hasn't a good heart. He 

 bites little dogs every chance he gets, and he's 

 always had a notion about running away. It's 

 likely he'll stay with Uncle Hiram until he's tired, 

 and he'll come and beg me to take him back." 



A tear trickled down Tommy's cheek, for he 

 loved Peter very much. The sun was growing 

 bright, and Tommy began to remember it was the 

 first day of August. He started off in the direc- 

 tion of the stream. Something made him glad it 

 ran just the other way from Uncle Hiram's. 



Most children are up early on Christmas and 

 Fourth of July; but Tommy had a special reason 

 for tumbling out of bed at dawn the first day of 

 August. This was because the Cardinal Flower 

 would then open. Of course, for such a wonderful 

 flower as this Tommy had his own bunk. It was 

 down by the stream, farther on than the Red 

 Maples, and where the water runs a little over 

 the meadow. He had not been down there for a 

 long time, so he didn't know whether the flowers 

 were even In bud. He walked rather slowly. He 

 was still thinking about Peter. 



He saw that the Button Bush had begun to make 

 seeds, and that Monkey Flowers were all along 

 the way. Then he noticed a Milkweed, prettier 

 and more delicate than the common one which 



