he glistening fields to attend the
Thanksgiving service in the meeting-house. They were made more solemn
still by the sight of the two Indians sitting with hands and feet
firmly fixed in the stocks, apparently as indifferent to the falling
snow as though they were images of stone. The first snowfall, usually
such a joy to Nancy and Daniel, now only seemed to make them more
miserable, and they were glad to see the sun when they came out of the
meeting-house after the sermon and turned their steps toward home. At
least Zeb would not perish of cold if it continued to shine. They were
just beginning to climb the home hill, when they were surprised to see
Nimrod come bounding to meet them, barking a welcome.

"How in the world did that dog get out?" said the Goodwife
wonderingly. "I shut him in the kitchen the last thing before we left
the house."

Leaving their father and mother to follow at a slower pace, Nancy
and Dan tore up the hill and threw open the kitchen door. There,
comfortably dozing on the settle by the fire, sat the Captain! At his
feet lay Zeb--also sound asleep with the wreckage of several blackened
eggs strewn round him on the hearth-stone! The Captain woke with a
start as the children burst into the room and for an instant stood
staring in amazement and delight at the scene before them. Zeb,
utterly worn out, slept on, and the Captain, as usual, was the first
to find his tongue.

"Well, well," he shouted, rubbing his nose to a bright red to wake
himself up, "here ye be! And mighty lucky, too, for I 'm hungry enough
to eat a bear alive. If I could have found out where ye hide your
supplies, I might have busted 'em open to save myself and this poor
lad from starvation. He appeared nigh as hungry as I be, but he knew
better how to help himself. He found these eggs cooked out there in
the ashes of the straw-stack, and all but et 'em shells and all. Never
even offered me a bite! Don't ye ever feed him?"

Before the children could get in a word edgewise their father and
mother, followed by Nimrod, came in, and, what with the dog barking,
the children screaming explanations to the Captain, and their own
astonished exclamations, there was such a babel of noise that at last
Zeb woke up, too, and stared about him like one dazed. Nimrod jumped
on him and licked his face, and Zeb put his arms around the dog as if
glad to find so cordial a welcome. The Captain stared from one face to
another, quite unable to make h