Prince Jan, St. Bernard
any person, and his deep growls and twitching nose were so threatening that no one dared to go nearer. His silky hair was rough and ragged, raw
t to put food or water where he could find it. The servants feared and hated him, and he hated them but did not fear them. He knew his own stre
rd, talking together. They were watching Jan, as the dog lay quietly in the hole that
o the other man. "Maybe you can handle him alone, but
saying, "Here's a letter from Miss Elizabeth Pixley; you can see what
in his eyes faded. The strange man came close to the dog and spoke gent
," warned William. "He c
to love and help people, not hurt the
showing his teeth. He is the wors
iled and held out his hand. Jan shrank back sus
aid the stranger, then he add
g if she had sent for him. He remembered how Mr. Pixley had led him away from the Hospice at the end of a rope, but at the end of the journey Jan had found Elizabeth and happiness. He lifted his big head and his anxious eyes saw a pitying face as a gentle hand lightly touched his back. It was quite a
ous than I am, Prince Jan! But
rought a small tin tub full of warm suds, and gently sponged the
or. It was late in the afternoon and the light from two small windows left the place in partial darkness, so that Jan, coming into it, could not see an
yapping made Jan turn quickly to see a tiny, dirty dog with long hair that had once been
he midget, which was not much larger than a small kitten.
"Is this the kennel where they train dog
ound!" snapped the tiny creature,
hoed Prince Jan
the dog-catchers get us they bring us to the pound, and i
, but the snippy little animal
l badly, too?"
manage to get away without my collar, sometimes, and some one always takes me to the pound, and my family
his is the pound!' sna
p when the door opened and two young ladies rushed in and grabbed up the blinking rascal. H
to the misery of the other dogs, but he could not sleep. Jan kept thinking how he had wanted to do what was right and how hard he had tried to remember what his mother had taught him. In this strange land, with no
d at last, when morning broke, he lifted his head slowly and looked at the dogs around him. Then he remembered that morning at the Hospice when he had wakened early, waiting impatiently for h
poor animals shrank back, but as they saw that he did not threaten any of them, the ragged tails flopped and the eyes that followed him were less timid. When he reached Jan, the man stood looking at him and shaking his head slowly. The dog, sti
e old man said, at last, as he untie
moved trustingly beside this kindly stranger. As they reached once more the door of the little house where Jan had been washed
d an old comforter then pointing a
d body on the soft quilt, but his eyes watched every movement of his new friend
and its bright little eyes fixed on the big dog. Jan kept very still, and the old man, sitting across the room, nodded approvingly when the dog allowed the bird to peck at the plate of food. After tasting Jan's dinner, the bird, perched on the edge of the di
at once darted into a cage hanging at the front wi
washed thoroughly and the salve applied to his sores. Though Jan's heart was almost bursting with g
nd said, "you're trying to thank m
right. That night he slept on the
ful pleading. At first he could not understand about his new friend, whom he heard other men call "Captain Smith, the poundmaster." He remembered what the little
, had been kept that first night. During sunshiny days of the snowless winter, these dogs were led into the bac
ainst him, wagging their tails. A few, bolder than the others, leaped up to lick his hands, or pretended they were going to fight him,
dogs came with the others, and often some of the older dogs would disappear. Then Prince