The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-07-31

that had been expected for some days
and that the storm had delayed, got
into port today. But there was one espe
cially that among all the rest attracted
the boys attention. 1t was an English
collier, standing on whose deck, as she
came near, they saw great, black,
noble Newfoundland dog. The creature
was standing upon his four feet, taking
no notice of any one, but slowly moved
his head from side to side, as if he were
vainly looking for something that he
could not understanding quite still, sc
passive that even when the boat touched
the quay, and people came up and
stroked and spoke to him, he merely lot
them do it and never moved SO much as
the tip of his tail in answer to them.
The children had caught sight of him,
with a shout of delight. ooh, see what
big dogn' Willie had cried, and clap
ping their joyful little hands they start
ed forward to get as near to the brig as
they could They saw several people
gather round the creature presently, and
upon that they pushed their way into
the boat, too, squeezing i'll cleverly be-
tween the sailors legs, till they got quite
close to where the dog was, with the
master of the brig standing by his side
and telling this sad little story:
In the gray Of the summer morning
he was saying, almost as the French
coast was coming into sight, one of the
crew of the brig had seen little black
speck dancing on the water far away.
They could not tell what it vast was
too indistinct for that-but they knew
it might be a drowning man, SO they
lowered their little boat at once and
made for him as hard as they could
pull. But it was no man. When they
came near, they found nothing but this
poor lost dog, floating on bit of wreck,
the spar Of some vessel that had prob
ably fOundered in the storm and gone
silently down with her crew. They took
him into their boat and brought him
back with them This was all his story.
Here he stood now, dazed, halt
starved, bewildered, looking with
strange eyes at each strange face about
him, dumb through it all. AS the mas
USl VI U14S CO441S1 UO4OI C1l0 44UU4O oU'(L y
more than one plying hand was put
forward to stroke the big, black head,
but the creature took no notice of any
one of them, only stood quite still,
piercing through the little group with
those sad, eager, human eyes of his.
"Poor fellow! Poor dog" they said.
The children stood a little from him
with grave, touched faces. They were
gazing so earnestly at him that they did
not see their father, who had come
down to the quay-as he came often
to give momentary eye to his young
monkeys and see that they were not
drowning themselves Or getting into any
other hopeless mischief, and who was
standing now behind them and had beer
listening while the master told his tale
They only knew he was there when the.
suddenly heard his voice.
"What are you going to do with him
Will you part with him?'' he called GU
to the master. Then the lads turneC
round, with little cry. ooh, father =
they exclaimed, and their hearts leape'
to their mouths They were afraid t.
utter another word. They stood wit
their lips parted with eagerness as the
waited for the masters answer.
"Well, sir, I'm open to an offer TO
him." the man said, after moment
silence, and then the children burst int
shouts Of delight.