motive, perhaps the notion of being
able to render some help.

A little before me the river had a sudden bend, and the bank rose high,
which prevented me seeing the cause of the noise; but when I reached the
top, the whole scene was before me. On my side of the river a great crowd
had assembled, who were looking intently upon something in the water;
and on the opposite bank there was a complete stream of dogs, running
down to the hill which belonged to the beautiful house I had been
admiring. Every dog, as he ran, seemed to be trying to make as much noise
as he could; and those I spoke to were barking so loudly, and jumping
about in such a way, that I could at first get no explanation of what was
the matter. At last I saw that the struggling object in the water was a
young puppy, which seemed very nicely dressed, and at the same moment the
mongrel, who had helped me to pick up my matches the day before, came
alongside of me, and said: "Ah, young firefly, how are you? Isn't this a
game? That old Lady Bull who got you such a drubbing yesterday, is in a
pretty mess. Her thirty-second pup has just tumbled into the water, and
will certainly be drowned. Isn't she making a fuss? just look!"

One rapid glance showed me the grand lady he spoke of, howling most
fearfully on the other side of the stream, while two pups, about the same
size as the one in the water, and a stout dog, who looked like the papa,
were sometimes catching hold of her and then running about, not knowing
what to do.

I stopped no longer. I threw off my over-coat, and running to a higher
part of the bank, leapt into the water, the mongrel's voice calling after
me: "What are you going to do? Don't you know its the son of the old
doggess who had you beat so soundly? Look at your shoulder, where the
hair has been all knocked off with the blows?" Without paying the least
attention to these words, which I could not help hearing they were called
out so loudly, I used all my strength to reach the poor little pup, who,
tired with his efforts to help himself, had already floated on to his
back, while his tiny legs and paws were moving feebly in the air. I
reached him after a few more efforts, and seizing his clothes with my
teeth, I got his head above the water, and swam with my load slowly
towards the bank.

As I got nearer, I could see Lady Bull, still superbly dressed, but
without her bonnet, throw up her paws and nose towards the sky, and fall
back into the ar