The San Francisco call., 1910-07-10
HOW DID ROVER FIND THE HOUSE?

his brother VIII lives alone on an
other homestead across the river,
about three miles from Jim's house
and mile from their fathers place,
where they stay quite a good deal.
They would like to stay at home more,
because sister Olivia cooks and Keeps
house much better than they can, but
in order to prove their homestead claim
they have to stay and work most OF
the time on their own places, though
they often work together several days
on one claim and then go over ana
work together for while on the
other. They have an uncle living
about four miles up river, where they
visit Will often staying two or three
days at a time there.
Well one night not long ago, Jim
woke up very, very sick. He was at
his own cabin, alone except Rover and
his horse, which he found he was not
able even to saddle, let alone ride and
he didn't know what to do. He had
been driving in some cattle he had
bought that day, and he'd had to rope
q couple of wild ones-that is, lasso
and drag them a bit till he got them
going right along with the others. In
such a scrimmage a cowman lis apt 10
be thrown, rolled over and sometimes
trampled. 1t would be dangerous work
If he were not quick as cat on his
feet. perfectly fearless and hadn't
eye to sieze every advantage When
he got to the cabin at night he was too
tired to realize he was hurt, but after
a few hours Of the deep sleep OF utter
weariness he walked to know he was
terribly sick and in danger If he
couldn't get help
The only help in sight was Rover,
dear, ragged old Rover. who loves him
so that he never spends a single min
ute out of Jims sight IL he can help
it, why one day he and Jim stopped
at my cabin and 1 gave Rover dish
of good dinner when / fed my JACK
dog, and Rover had been working hard
and was hungry. and enjoying his meal,
but Jim started before he had eaten
half. Rover kept eating until Jim
passed my lane gate and was out of
sight then he couldn't stand it and left
the remainder of his dinner and
scampered after Jim.
1 think Rover must have understood
Jim was in some kind of trouble. At
any rate Jim wrote a letter telling VIII
all about it. He tied this safely to 'Ro-
yer's collar and then opened the door
and said: go find Will; go bring Will"
And Rover started away like a streak
ing wolf, the way he always travelled
when in hurry, and he kept going
till he found Will, who telephoned for
the doctor and then hurried to Jim;
and 1t WaSnC DuI a lew 0dyS iii
was all right again. Now, Rover didn't
know where Will would be that night,
whether at his own house, to reach
which Rover would have to swim the
river, because he couldn't manage the
boat, of course, or whether he might
be down at their fathers place, or up
river at his uncles; and 1T wasn't GER
tain VIII wouldn't be some place else.
And we don't know how Rover rea-
soned it out, or what route he trav-
eled or how he managed it. 1t was
storming, so his coat would be wet,
whether he swan the river or not. All
we know is that he was sent to find
Will and kept going till he did find
him. There's one thing, though, that
do feel sure about. I've heard Jim say
you couldn't make a trade with him
of the finest steer in the county for
Rover, and now I would wager any
thing you like that you couldn't buy
Rover for the price of whole drove
of fat steers, and that, let me tell you,
is a whole lot of money, too.