The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-01

ed on them. Closer and closer he got the
trembling creatures to one another his
I'D instinct waking in him, and they were
massed together.
The keeper of the flock hailed Siilabn
That's a fine sheep dog, brother, he
said. what will you take for him.
Something for him to eat. lie is hum
gry." answered SiIlabil.
The man looked at him then opening .
bundle slung Sn his arm. fed the Captain
from its contents.
81 never saw such flock" went on the
man. But now. thanks to your dog.
they're among the daisies. and clover's in
sight
Among the daisies SinabH loiEei
and saw white field of flowers whose
hearts were Of gold. And the good lame
man had said his mother slept among the
daisies! The fallacy OF it appealed 10
him.
Then something snapped in his head a
sudden terror possessed him He had
often seen such long boxes rs that in
which his mother had lain and they had
been borne along the streets i'm blacl.
wagons He had sometimes followed aft
err them and had seen them enter a place
where there were trees and flowers and
white upright marbles. His mother had
once explained to him that this was the
place where tired folks rested who had
seldom rested before. though people who
did not know called them dead.
My mother is dead"
Away away he ran across fields, along
roads. flying from what he knew not AIR
at once he found himself obstructed by q
wall. and n plaintive wall smote his ear.
The Captain had come with him. The
Captain was almost exhausted. Silabil
stopped and held the shaggy head up to
him.
Mother is dead Captainri
He got down in the dust and held the
dog to his heart.
'AIother is dead. Captaiu!"
The dog licked his face and looked into
his eyes.
He got to his feet, something clearing
away that had seemed to hide good
deal.
Work: His mother had worked! He
was strong: he could work. He must
work The city was the place where
everybody worked. He could find work
there, He went past all the places he had
seen yesterday-the ruined church. the
house of feasting, the church where there
had been wedding-and he was in the
city again. nearer and nearer coming to
him a clearing up of something that had
been a dim puzzle ever since he had had
/ The fever
Hour after hour they walked the streets.
knowing that they must wait for morn
ing. The city became hushed and quiet.
Few wayfarers passed them.
where shall we gO?'
The Captain gave a bark fgb of friendly
advice
Then sllabi remembered the place
where they had taken him after his
mother had died. He came upon it at
midnight. He might find work there.
He no longer feared that the Captain
would he taken from him. A new feeling
OF assurance and responsibility had come
to him. He stood and looked up at the
huge building where he might yet find
work and earn money enough TO support
himself and the Captain. Money. There
was that money lying far away pinned
TO the shawl in the dismantled church
where the woman had made Il fire.
Fire"
Did he hear the word? Look. There
was bright red coming from a tall win
dow in the building.
"Firc, fire. He heard n now. So did
the Captain for his back bristled.
Captain, that is our ward!'
The good lame man was in there. the
man who had stolen from him, who had
deceived him. and the man Was there
who had wanted to drown the Captain,
There was a crowd around the building
waiting for the engines
zone legged Tom diu it; he was smCll-
ing his pipe. against the rules
Sillabn and the Captain darted into the
hail, black with smoke that bit their
| eyes, bright with tongues of fame that
! cruelty licked their flesh.
Sillabl knew his odd ward. He MADE
for 1t. But the fire had not been discoy-
cred tin the stairs We're almost destroyed
and only narrow ledge remained. IL
this ledge sped Sillahll.
Captain"
The Captain was at his heels AMI 50
into the smoke and flame Of the ward.
The good lame man was at the window.
four stories above the ground, ready TO
jump out. How it was done will never S1e
told, but Sillabil and the Captain forced
the lame man through the red roar and
the blacllncss out TO the narrow ledge OF
stairs and down into the outer air. whore
the engines were ROW sending out huge
streams of water and ladders were going
up to rescue the inmates prisOned in thsir
rooms.
Stllabn Sound himself prone upon The
ground, the Captain with q ruefully
scorched coat lying across him, his black
muzZle close to his masters cheek
why" said a voice, at is william
SHY
''Sillablt7 said & second voice, that Of
lame Tom, the good lame man. He saw
ed me. Poor chap!"
Poor! Ma. indeed. Lying there Sillatzl
was rich Past the da rlSn the main