Prince Jan, St. Bernard

fat, round body covered with tawny hair. His brown eyes

Rollo to haul him around, while Jan's teeth slipped from his brother's short hair. Though

ears and earnest eyes. Sometimes Bruno, the oldest dog in the kennels, would join in the talk, and all the young dogs would gather around to hear the hist

sand years," said Bruno in one of his talks. "When you puppies are old enough, you will be tr

and thumped their tails to

in the storm or frozen in the snow. Then he leads the way to the Hospice, or if the traveller does not follow, the dog brings monks to aid the man. Should one of us ever

ries, Bruno," the

way to prove yourselves worthy is for you to do your duty as well as they did theirs. Unless you remember your lessons and follow them, yo

matism in his shoulders, move slowly across the enclosed yard that opened from the kennels. Bruno was no longer able to go out on the trails, but spent his days teaching the

when the wind howls and the snow blinds you, to sneak back or hide in a sheltered place. You must not forget, as long as you live, that there was never a traitor or coward i

enclosure. "Only a St. Bernard can tell whether the snow which has drifted during the night i

u must go very carefully. If it creaks beneath your weight, never let any human being step on it, even if you must fight him back. Your father, Rex, died when an i

ew that each of her children was promising that h

ossed the yard toward the kennel, "some day we, too, wil

oud eyes. When they reached her side Jan measured himself to see how much bigge

nly grow faster,

ered, biting his ear gently

time is coming!" Jan le

d Rollo. "We'll wo

ed eagerly, for these men had charge of the youngsters. All the dogs knew them, and even if the men had been strangers the Hospice dogs would have known th

a little round, black, skull-cap was on his head. All of the monks dressed the same way, and when it was cold and they

e had seen them do the same thing with other puppies, and afterwards many of his playmates went away and never returned. At first he and Rollo thou

be sent away. His little legs and back stiffen

aid Brother Antoine, running his hand along Jan's back. "He has wonderful muscl

then he dashed to his mother's side, yelping

ng to be just like your father! He was a descendant of Barry, th

and wrinkled his soft forehead as he tried to remember everything that Bruno

s that reached along the big room with its floor of grey stone. The cows of the Hospice were kept in the basement, too, for there was never any green grass out

s for them, then Jan turned impatiently to the door, hoping it would not be very long before Brother Antoine would come for him. When the monk appeared on the stone steps Jan trembled nervously, and went forward qu

ntle voice that all the dogs loved. Rollo whined pleadingly, and

teps, past a big room. Rollo and Jan waited impatiently while Brother Antoine unfastened three d

ass, tossing it high and digging into drifts with broad clumsy paws, then

he peaks of the mountains were sheeted with snow and blue-white ice that never melted the year around. There was not so much danger for travellers duri

le fellow took. When he looked back he saw his brother also had a collar and bell, and then a casket was tied to each pup's

were covered all the time with a white blanket of snow, which drifted into the hollow places until it was many feet deep. The narrow trail tw

watched him go on alone until he disappeared around a bend of the trail. The pups looked at each other anxiously, and fixed their eyes on the face of the mo

e dogs trembled with eagernes

nd raced along the narrow pathway, their noses close against the snow

Jan and Rollo trailed Brother Antoine until they reached a spot where they could find no further scent though they went around in circles. The other monk, who had followed more slowly, stood watching them as they paused, uncertain what to do. He made no sign to help them, but suddenly Prince Jan gave a s

ck echoes like many unseen dogs answering them. Brother Antoine rose to his feet, smiling. He pat

to Brother Antoine. "He sho

k!" he ordered. Prince Jan started obediently toward his home, while Rollo followed closely, but

r the high archways and once again were in the big, enclosed yard. The other dogs crowded about them as they stood proud and important, for that day Prince Jan and Rollo had learned the first les