the forest and shoot him, and run and
leave him. I know it is hard, but the pinch of poverty is hard, and it
has come.'

"'Shoot Faithful! Shoot old Faithful! Take him out into the forest and
shoot him! Why, a man's last friends are his God, his mother, and his
dog. Would you have me shoot old Faithful? How could I?'

"At the words 'Shoot old Faithful,' the great dog had started up as
though he understood. He bent his large eyes on the old woman and
whined, then wheeled around once and sank down at his master's feet.

"'He acts as though he understood what you were saying.'

"'No, he don't,' said the old woman. 'You set too much store by the dog,
and imagine such things. He's too old to ever be of service to us any
more, and he eats a deal. The storm will be over by morning. Hear the
showers of the leaves! The fall wind is rending the forest. 'Tis seventy
falls that we have seen, and we will not see many more. We must live
while we do live, and the dog must be put out of the way. You must take
Faithful out into the forest in the morning and kill him.'

"The dog started up again. 'Take Faithful and kill him!' He seemed to
comprehend. He looked into his master's face and gave a piteous howl,
and went to the door and pawed.

"'Let him go out,' said the old woman. 'What possesses him to go out
to-night into the storm? But let him go, and then I can talk easier
about the matter. Did you see his eyes--as if he knew? He haunts me! Let
him go out.'

"The old man opened the door, and the dog disappeared in the darkness,
uttering another piteous howl.

"Then the old couple sat down and talked over the matter, and Gragstein
promised his wife that he would shoot the dog in the morning.

"'It is hard,' said the old woman, 'but Providence wills it, and we
must.'

"The wind lulled, and there was heard a wild, pitiful howl far away in
the forest.

"'What is that?' asked the old woman, starting.

"'It was Faithful.'

"'So far away!'

"'The poor dog acted strange. There it is again, farther away.'

"The morning came, but the dog did not return. He had never stayed away
from the old hut before. The next day he did not come, nor the next. The
old couple missed him, and the old man bitterly reproached his wife for
what she had advised him to do.

"Winter came, with pitiless storms and cold, and the old man would go
forth to hunt alone, wishing Faithful was with him.

"'It is not safe for me to go alone,' said he. 'I w