Frank of Freedom Hill

pointers. Both his father and mother were champions. Before he opened his eyes and while he was crawling about ove

the best 'un in th

im stooped down and snapped his fingers. There was a general scampering back to the protection of the mother by all

e pointed a butterfly tha

delighted Thompson who saw it.

an's protecting care. While at sight of a tree stump or a cow or some other monstrous object his brothers and sisters would scamper back to the man, Comet would venture toward it, pro

his wife-they looked after Oak Hill in

to make a

rop!" and to stand stock still when he said "Ho!" Comet learned more quickly than the others. In everything he was favoured, even in temperament. Now and then he quarrelled with his br

wo thirds pup, one third grown dog. Though he still romped with the others, it was plain to the practised eye that he was different. Sometimes he lay in the shade a long time and thoughtfully gazed i

of one who knows he has found his life's work, still he remained staunch several minutes. And th

elligence, spirit-pointed to a great dog. Y

to Comet, came to the big house at Oak Hill. With them were automobiles, trunks, horses. All this was tremendously excitin

ds, and the two walked straight to the curious young dogs

an, "which is the future champio

yourself, sir,

ainer-and he must be sent to a man experienced in training and handling for field trials. His grade-school

in tweeds, who was George Devant himself. "I saw his d

ngly, as if he disliked

g time ago Larsen sued us for old Be

I remember-now y

do, for Larsen didn't have any more right to that dog than the Sultan of Turkey. Bu

ed keenly a

he dickered too long and acted cheesy. Now they've turned out to be famous. Some men never forget a thing like that, sir. Larsen's been talking the

" said

an old trainer lives near here, old Wade Swygert. Used to train dogs in England. He's been out of the game a long time-rheumatism. He wan

our judgment. We'll turn some of the other puppies over to Swygert if he wants them, but Com

arian Devant, pretty, eighteen, and a sportswoman, stooped down, caught his head between her hands, looked into his fine eyes, and wished him "Good luck, old man." In the living room men

lroad station in a vast prairie country, he was lifted, crate and all, off

Mr. Larsen," said

e, sanctimonious voice. "Pretty to t

o would you be if I was to put you in some kind

d. Comet was grateful, for everything was strange. He had not whined or complained

wells, like a motionless sea; the bald house, the group of huge red barns where he was lifted out and the cra

ils; but he stood his ground staunchly for a youngster, returning fierce look for fierce

ose against the man's knee, but receiving no word of encouragement, he crawled with di

o his assistant. "Pretty to look at but-er-timid ab

ncing Larsen's entrance he sprang to his feet and stared hungrily at the man for the light he was accustomed to see in huma

nd lay down near by, in that strange bond of sympathy which is not confined to man. At these times Comet's spirit returned; he would want to play, for he was still half puppy

an overgrown boy off at college, or in some foreign city, sensitive, not sure of himself or his place in the order of t

t he did not see the shrewd light in the man's eyes. In the exuberance of his spirit he ran round and round the yard barking into

r had had no experience with-a gun. That part of his education Thompson had neglected, or at least postpone

d aright. Something he saw there made him momentarily droop his ears and tail. Again there came over him the feeling of strang

e been no calamity that day. If he had trusted the man, he would have withstood the shock his nerves w

d Larsen waved him on. Round and round the extensive field he circled, forgetting any feeling of strange

t. Heretofore, in the little training he had gone through, Thompson had come up behind him, flushed the birds and made him drop. And now

d with the modern smokeless powder used for almost a generation by nearly all hunters. Perhaps it was mere

nerve, filling him with terror such as he had never felt before. Even then in the confusion and horror of the noise he turned to the man, ears ringing, eyes dilated. As f

r drums, shattering the nerves. Comet turned. One more glance backward at a face, pale, ex

over briars, he yelped. His tail was tucked, his eyes crazy with fear. Seeing a farmhouse, he made for that. It was noon hour and a group of men loitered about the yard. With the cry "Mad dog!" one ran into the house for a gun. When he came out the others told him th

tarted life favoured of the gods, who that morning had been full of high spirit and pride, who had

terror, a sight for mirth. Perhaps he is. Certainly he is as much so as a dog with

e truth he had never thought much of this breed of pointers. He was very sorry, he said, very sorry. But any one, peering at

ause he was yellow. And he knew he was disgraced. He saw it in the face of the big man Devant, who looked at him in the ya

ow it had happened. "I did everything I could. I never

ormed butlers; launch rides up the river; arriving and departing guests. Only one of them except Devant gave the gun-shy dog a thought. Marian Devant visited him in his disgrace. She stoope

llow-inside!" she declar

m with a gun, Miss Marian. Just show

I don't believe h

had entered his soul. In spite of her pleading he made for his kennel. Even the girl turned away. And as he lay panting in the

settled at last on a truck farm near by. Somewhere in a life full of adventure and odd jobs he had trained dog

e goin' to give him awa

ho had been cha

he looked into the visitor's

re him?" sh

" was the st

will

ll

e him. And if the

et," said

he slept before their fire. Next day he followed the man all about the place. Several days and nights passed this way, then, while he lay before the fire, old Sw

the dog to a tree in the yard, then came out with a gun. A sparrow lit in a tree, and he shot it. Comet tried to break t

d more heavily, and each time, after the shot, coming to him, showing him the bird,

ng man with her, rode over on hors

id, "whether I'm gett

he's yellow. Not

beyond what's common. I don't know how. The spirit is willin', bu

running away!

on his face the approbation of

t he had better give it up. It wasn't worth

ailroad gang, and the storm drove us in a shack. While lightnin' was hittin' all around, one of the grown men told me it always picked out boys with red ha

h headway, I admit that. I'm lettin' him run away as far as he can. Now I've got

day, Mrs. Swygert, at her husband's direction, placed before him, within reach of his chain, some raw beefsteak. As he sta

gert expressed it. "Now," he said, "he's got to

Toward this pond the old man, with the gun under his arm and the dog following, went. Her

th the command to "fetch." Comet sprang eagerly in and retrieved it. Twice this was repeate

. Here, so precipitous were the banks, he could not get a foothold. He turned

d and begged him to come on. His face was grim, and though the day was cool sweat stood out on h

His efforts to clamber up the opposite bank were feeble, fra

e had passed for temporizing. The sweat was standing out all over his face. The sternne

opped over the trees. Still the firing

the gun that was being fired over his head. On and on he came, toward the man, disregarding the noise of the gun. It would not hurt him, that he knew at last

he said,

nd looked straight into the eyes of a m

s a pointer named Comet. He would have thought it some other dog than the one who had disappointed him so by turning out gun-shy, in spite of

n a Western trial, and was prominently spoken of as a National Championship possibility. As for him, he had no young

re the National Championship was to be run, there on the street, straining at the leash held by old Swygert, whom he used to know, was a seasoned young pointer, w

according to the slips taken at random from a hat, it was declared that o

strange thrill, t

here for a long time he sat pondering. Next day at a ha

he bent over his work, on his lips a smile. Into the shells he packed all the powder they could stand, all the powder his trusted gun could s

anced around at the "field," or spectators. Among them was a handsome young woman and with her, to his amazement, George Devant. He could not h

he most part. There were times, when at a report above his head, he still trembled and the shocked nerves in his ear gave a

as if in another and an evil world he had seen that face. His heart began to pound fast and his tail drooped fo

ements he could know nothing, being a dog. Old Swygert, having cured him, could not meet the expenses of taking him to field trials. The girl had come

gentlemen?" th

d Larsen and

across that field, and behind them came han

thing unusual. It was like any other field trial. Comet found birds and Swygert, his handler, flushed them and shot.

e far. As a matter of fact, he was near by, hidden in some high straw, pointing a covey of birds. One of the spectators spied

de to the top of the hill but could not see him. In his zeal, he had g

is chance had come-the very chance he had been looking for. It's a courtesy one handler s

" said Larsen to the judges, his voice s

birds, and that behind him a man was coming through the straw, and that behind the man a crowd of people on horseback were watching h

arsen," directed the jud

s tracks behind Comet, and pointed. Larsen's dogs always obeyed, quickly, mechanically. Without ever gaining their con

og's steadiness when a gun is fired over him. No specification is made as to the size of the shotgun to be used. Us

ot smokeless powder. But now, as he advanced, he reached into the left-hand pocket of his hunting coa

e birds rose with a whirr-and then was repeated that horror of his youth. Above his ears, ears that would always be tender, broke a great roar. Either because of his excitement, or because of a sudden wave of revenge,

somewhere in that crowd behind him came to his tingling ears a voice-clear, ringing, deep, the voice o

t said. "St

rules seemed to have been suspended. Ordinarily, no one belonging to "the field" is allowed to speak to a dog. Yet the girl had spoken to him. Ordinarily, the spectators must remain in the

nderstand. The man he feared was running across the field yonder, in the direction taken by the judge. He was blowing his whistle as he ran. Thr

ng to her. "I heard it! I might

"like a rock-oh, the b

rt suddenly checked him

they had all gathere

dog," he said. "Pee