The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-12-08


trembling creatures to one another his
Did instinct waking in him, and they were
massed together.
The keeper of the flock hailed Sillabi.
That's a fine sheep dog brother" he
said. What will you take for him?"
Something for him to eat. He is hum
cry" answered Sillabil.
The man looked at him. then. opening :.
bundle slung Sn his arm, fed the Captain
from its contents.
81 never saw such a flock" went on tbs
man. But now, thanks to yoEr dog.
they're among the daisies, and clovei's II
sight"
Among the daisies," Sillabn looked
and saw white field Of flowers VI hose
hearts were of gold. And the good lame
man had said his mother slept among thu
daisies The fallacy Of it appealed 10
him.
Then something snapped in his head. 4
sudden terror possessed him. He had
often seen such long boxes as that i'll
which his mother had lain, and they had
been borne along the streets in black
wagons He had sometimes followed aft
er them and had seen them enter place
where there were trees and flowers aus.
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. All
at once he found himself obstructed by q
wall, and a plaintive wall smote his ear.
The Captain had come with him. The
Captain was almost exhausted. Sillabil
stopped and held the shaggy head up to
him.
Mother is dead Captain
He got down in the dust and held the
dog to his heart.
Mother is dead. Captain
The dog licked his face and looked into
his eyes.
He got to his feet something clearing
away that had seemed to hide a good
deal.
Work. His mother had worked! lie
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 ycsterday-the ruined church, the
house of feasting. the church where there
had been a 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.
'Vhere shall we gO?'
The Captain gave bark full of friendly
advice.
Then Sillabf 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 be 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 fire.
Fire.
Did he hear the word? Look, There
was a bright red coming from tall win
dow in the building.
''Fire. fire." He heard it now. So did
tnc 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 did it: he was smok-
ing his pipe, against the rules"
Sillabil and the Captain darted into the
| hall. black with smoke that Bit theil
| eyes. bright with tongues of flame that
| cruelty licked their flesh.
Sillabn knew his old ward He made
| for it.. But the fire had not been discov-
cred till the stairs were almost destroyed
and only a narrow ledge remained. II
this ledge sped Sillabil.
Captain
| The Captain was at his heels, and SC
into the smoke and flame of the ward
| The good lame man was at the window
) four stories above the ground, ready tc
| jump out. How it was done will never be
| told, but Sillabil and the Captain forced
the lame man through the red roar an6
the blackness out to the narrow ledge OF
| stairs and down into the outer air, where
! the engines were now sending out hugt
streams of water and ladders were going
up to rescue the inmates prisoned in Their
| rooms.
| Sillabil found himself prone upon the
! ground, the Captain with a ruefully
| scorched coat lying across him, his black
| muzzle close to his masters cheek.
| "Why." said voice, cit is William
! SHIT
| "Sillabil"' said a second voice, that OF
| lame Tom, the good lame man. He saw
| ed me. Poor chapi''
| Poor! No, indeed. Lying there Sillabi
| was rich. Past the darkness the pain