Dick and Brownie | Page 3

faster than ever, for she could well picture the rage there
would be, when it was discovered that not only had she run away, but
had taken with her two baskets ready for sale!
"They are mine! I made them," she gasped, nervously, "and I left some
behind!" but her alarm put fresh energy into her tired feet, and, in spite
of the heat and her weariness, she ran, and ran madly, she did not know
or care whither, as long as she got lost. Wherever she saw a way, she
took it; the more winding it was the better. Anything rather than keep to
a straight, direct road that they could trace.
At one moment she thought of hiding away her baskets and raffia, but
she was very, very hungry by this time, and with the baskets lay her
only chance of being able to buy food, and oh, she needed food badly.
She needed it so much that at last, from sheer exhaustion, she had to
stop and lie down on the ground to recover herself.
It was then that Huldah first caught sight of Dick. All the way she had
gone, he had followed her at a distance, careful never to get too close,
cautiously keeping well out of sight, running when she ran, drawing
back and half-concealing himself when she slackened her pace, and
there was a likelihood of her looking around. Now at last, though, they
had come to moorland again, with only a big boulder here and there for
shelter, and when Huldah suddenly fell down, exhausted, Dick, in his
fright at seeing her lying on the ground motionless, forgot all about
hiding away. Everything but concern for his little mistress went out of
his head. Huldah, lying flat on the ground with her head resting on her

outstretched arm, her face turned away from the pitiless sun, saw
nothing. She did not want to see anything; the desolateness of the great
bare stretch of land frightened her. She felt terribly frightened, and
terribly lonely. Should she die here, she wondered, alone! At the
prospect a sob broke from her.
To poor Dick, who had crept up so close that he stood beside her, this
was too much. At the sound of her distress he was so overcome, he
could no longer keep his feelings under restraint. A bark broke from
him, eager, coaxing, half frightened; then, repentant and ashamed, he
thrust his hot nose into Huldah's hand, and licked it apologetically.
Weary, dead-beat as she was, Huldah sprang up into a sitting position.
"Dick!" she cried, "oh, Dick! How did you come here? Oh, I am so
glad, so glad!" and flinging her arms round his long yellow neck she
burst into happy tears. Dick was delighted. Instead of being scolded, he
was petted, and his little mistress was plainly glad to see him. He was
as hungry as she was, and very nearly as tired, but nothing mattered to
him now.
"Oh, Dick, how did you come? and, oh, won't they beat us if they catch
us! and--and oh, I hope they won't beat poor old Charlie worse than
ever, because they are angry. Oh, I do wish Charlie was here too. Poor
old Charlie! he will be so lonely."
Dick wagged his tail and looked about him. Perhaps he was thinking
that Charlie might have been able to find something to eat in that bare
spot, but that it was more than they could. Huldah realised this too, and
with a sigh she scrambled on to her aching feet again. She must find
somebody to help them--a house and food of some kind.
"You shall lead the way this time, Dick. You are clever, and can scent
things out. You'll know which way to go to find houses."
It took Dick a little while to understand that he was expected to run
ahead now, not to follow, and indeed it is doubtful if he did understand
it, but a rabbit popping up ahead of them at that moment drew him on,
and Huldah more slowly followed. It was a very zig-zag way that Dick

took them, for he was intent on finding rabbits, not houses, but,
fortunately, it led them at last to a house, too.
The sun was going down in a crimson glory, and a mistiness was
creeping up over the land on all sides, when, to her great relief, Huldah
saw the welcome sight of smoke rising out of chimneys, then other
signs of life, and presently came to a farm standing in the middle of a
large yard. The yard seemed very full of animals, and where there were
no animals there were hay-ricks and corn, and empty upturned carts
and waggons.
It was a lonely-looking place in that