Frank of Freedom Hill

. A big red Irish setter was Dan, of his breed sixth, and most superb, his colour wavy-bronze, his h

n he saw through the open door, as on a moving-picture screen, sunlit fields and sunlit woods whirling past. He began to bark

s?" h

ow long since he had got so much as a whiff of untainted air, or a glimpse of wild fields and woods! Out there oceans of such air filled all the space between the glid

!" The baggagema

throbbing, his nose between his paws. A deep sigh

of George Devant had bred him; Devant had himself overlooked his first season's training, had hunted him a few times. At Devant's untimely death, Mrs. Devant had sold the place, the kennel

sell th

r friend of the la

ad my eye

laughed. "He'll live wi

dog," Lancaster

e I understand hi

occurred, even remotely, that her Riverside Drive apartment was a prison. She never dreamed why it was that on their afternoon walks the dog, straining at

ay; "you are trying t

raised, gently brave eyes he would plead for freedom-f

ard this train. "The trip," Lancaster had said, "will be easier if we don't crate him." All day he had known he was being hurled aw

ry and the sun had set. Through the door the dog looked across a dusky field to a black horizon of forest. Abo

backed against the wall, took a running start, and plunged again. The breaking of h

eman rose in the doorway. The dog gathered himself together and leaped. He landed on shining rails, in front of a blinding headlight; the pilot just missed him as he sprang out of the way. A northbound passenger train roared past. From th

d spirit of night galloped the dog, filling the woods with barks, leaping high into the air, his teeth snapping and clicking like castanets. In the edge of a straw field looked down upo

e wind. He sat down on his haunches and with ears erect watched the distant, whirling specks scatter into the woods. He was helpless in

r a long, deep cut. Impelled by the gnawing in his stomach, he limped toward a log cabin. A troop of black children ran screaming at sight of him, and a black man burst out

twice he fought inquisitive hounds; always his nose pointed like a compass toward the place where the sun set. He no longer resembled the dog that had graced the canine parade on Riverside Drive.

erate, gnawing loneliness. A masterless dog is like a godless man: there is no motivation sufficient for his struggles and achievements.

oods. His body was shaken by dry sobs, as if the tear supply had long since been exhausted. Now and then he looked fearfully around

to his feet, picked up a stick, and faced about like a little cave man. The dog still advanced wagging his tail, throwing his e

hubby hands, then the tear-soaked face. The boy smiled with a dawn of trust, put his hand testingly on the shaggy head, then round his ne

l asleep, the dog's warm body curled up beside. Suddenly Dan sprang up. From the sunset came the ringing of a bell. Pe

a young man burst into view, his clean-shaven face drawn and anxious. He stooped, picked the boy up, f

," he said

der young woman came running toward them, followed by a fat old black woman who waddled as she ran. The young woman snatched the boy from the man's shoulder, and Dan knew

e come from?

om Mars, I guess. He

and caught the big head between her hands. Her e

rstood. He poked the dog with his foot, and Dan started back with a mock snarl. Embarrassment vanished, equilibrium was establishe

aughed the man

n keep him, Steve?"

cour

his owners co

know every bird dog fifty miles around. There

closet. When he turned h

g face. He ran round and round the room, his eyes bri

" he said s

d, as it were, into a new world, a new and glorious life. From the porch of the old homestead-it sat on a hill that commanded an extensive view-he saw i

the fire when the night was cold. The strained, restless look left h

e you, old man?" he asked. "I guess th

story that Earle's great-grandfather on the morning the old columned house

no bondage here

e mountains. They returned at dusk, Earle with bulging game pockets, gun stuck under his arm, the set

n, that dog," wa

t joy came with the knowledge that his nose was growing keener, his judgment more profound! What added joy tha

Breton Junction by the field trials held every year. How his master towered above them! How well he knew the crack of his master's gun! How well he

ck chimney on the southern side of the house. There was his box underneath the back porch, filled always with clean straw, into

red the tools, all took on the intimate kindliness of home. He grew to be a privileged character with the very animals on the place. He took his privileges as his due,

n, Tommy Earle, whom he had found in the woods, took him boisterously in hand. It was a season when a hard-worked bi

st in the yard for the dog. He had never been accustomed to children. It galled him to be straddled as if he were a hobby horse; it reflected on his dignity to be yanked about by the ears and tu

ith no effect whatever. There were other times when the red Irish flared up, and he sprang back, strongly tempted to snap and snap hard. But alw

plantation what outlet did the child have for his playmania? The dog remembered that in a former kennel life a puppy had incessantly chewed his ears. Perhaps he had been that way himself-all young

ely fought a visiting boy who threw a stone into his box. Again, when enticed by the wanderlust of spring, he was gone three da

f," said Earle. "You

there was wonderment in them as if perhaps the truth were dawning. Certainly for days he followed the dog around, plainly apprehensive that he would run

about the yard with lolling tongue. He grew stouter, his coat glossier, his muscles more stanch. He grew sedate, too, l

n contended that he was sent to find her boy, and Tommy cared not where he came from so he

sh in the air-all these pointed to one conclusion: another hunting season was rolling majestically around. On the very night previous Earle had oiled the gu

rning he stole secretly after the buggy, and trotted under the rear axle unobserved by Earle and Tommy. A mile down the road he thought it safe to show himself.

!" order

ace of a dog pretending not to understand. The histrionic excelle

m go, P

ght-you

n Junction, with the squat, sunlit roof of the station in the middle-box cars grouped about, semaphore above, and long lines of telegraph poles that

an and boy. When at a store awning Earle tied the horse, he followed close at their heels, confidence suddenly gone out of him. Association and instinct stir

notonously like a mechanical species of cricket, a man handed Earle a crate of shotgun shells. T

you think most

tell, Bill. On the whole

t where the d

I don't want to. All right, yo

ast. But when Earle and Tommy did not follow, he came dejectedly back. Tommy wanted to wait and see the train; he had never seen but

uted Tommy, dancin

wheels. He felt the solid earth under his feet tremble as the great hissing engine rolled between him and the sun, the rod rising and falling on the terrible wheels, the engineer high above in a window. Then the long black

r dog?" h

he's

d you g

corner of Earle's ey

any of yo

ingratiatingly, like a man

th the Coast Line. Owners sued the road. Road came back on me-said I

ed Earle. "The Coast Line

Dan. See? Knows me. Ever see the beat of that? I'm sorry,

thout a word he gave his name. The baggageman wrote it hastily in a n

d as he swung aboard, waving his hand back at t

Tommy noticed that

son," h

ever come to Breton Junction to see the train. All the way home the dog trotted under the axle of the buggy. In the days that followed

e morning sun, kept his eyes on it merely out of curiosity. But as it drew closer he rose slowly to his feet, his ears erect. Unreasoning antipathy to the

is!" cried

shrilled

nd, and both hurried toward him, smiling like old frien

she c

afraid of them and of what they represented. Steve Earle hurried out of the house, followed by Marian and Tommy, who held his mother's hand. They all

nd I were on our way to Florida, we thought we would stop over and make sure. T

e dog?" dem

s-undou

. "Come, Fran

ish gleam came into the dog's eyes. He threw his head up like a wild horse. Lancaster took

flashed for a moment transparent as they crossed the shafts of sunlight. The bell at the house tolled. The gun shot again and agai

ack steps. Profoundly grateful, he crawled into his box. But at daybreak Earle came out, fastened a collar round his

ey had spent the night at Breton Junction. They would be back directly. He had too much sense for a dog

ll he watched the morning mists lift from the maplike demarcation of field and wood, revealing the rich

. He did not try to make it out. His master was providence. He could not question the decrees of providence, but he would circumvent them if he could. Once he had broken a collar. H

blue overalls and stubby shoes. They hugged the porch, they made their way tow

e whispere

ork with the fastening of the chain, his tongue poking through his lips and wiggling. The spring was strong, the thumb that pressed feeble, numb with co

you doi

s looked up with a jerk. Earle's face

lie was shiv

the hou

Her face was distressed. She cast a pitying look a

ur dog?" pl

he belongs to

e him a jink of

't want a

f that depressing morning, the last protesting wail as the front door smothered i

ing over and over in his frantic struggles. Not until people were grouped above him did he grow quiet. Then when his former mistress stooped down

the matter with

what's the matter,"

l him?" asked

"No, indeed; we wou

ppose we go in to the fire. You

ed near the porch while the

at this is the plantation where the field tria

hooting dog. The greatest one I ever saw. He

ntil he came out here, most of his traini

o the house,

Then he heard a scraping sound behind him, and turned quickly about with pricked ears. Under the

the dog's head on his knee. Frank's eyes were green with excitement, foa

in. Once, like a dumpy animal, he crawled away. But he came back with a brickbat and hammered like a blacksmith at the spring

desire to plunge at the chain. He started to rise, but the boy caught him angrily by the ear and jerked his head back into place. Cha

I wonder whar da

from every side. Freedom and slavery hung in the crimson pressing thumb. The co

! Dat chile turni

ook, who held her wide skirts out as if to catch him in a net. He heard Earle call. He heard Lancaster l

the old south chimney in the sun and knocked out his pipe, straightened up, and called. A fine figure of a man-his call carried command in every tone! To resist the overwhelming impulse toward obedie

e whole interior were a mass of silent fire. Smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, and on the cold air came the whiff of frying bacon. The cook waddled down the back steps, a tin bucket

arted across it, disappeared in the lot, reappeared in the back door of the barn, and with a backward glance made for the woods where he lay. He had r

'a

third time he called, shriller, more tremulously. Then slowly he turned his back and started toward the house. Something must have blinded him, for he stumbled and fell. H

. Not until his warm breath on the nape of the white neck caused Tommy to turn, did he realize the depth of woe through which Tommy had passed. The frightened gasp, the look of terrible reproach, the tear-soiled face, the tragic eyes, told the story. It was fully a minute before Tommy con

ain!" Then, with wistful wonde

windows when they started toward the house, the

caught, "he says-he says you b'long to us! He says he come down a

e grabbed the do

l' F'ank! I l

mmy Earle yelled, and the woods and the house and the b