water run in her hand, and
gave it to me to lap. Then she sat down and I leaned my head against her
knees, and she stroked my throat gently.

There were some people sitting about the room, and, from their talk, I
found out what had taken place. There had been a freight train on a side
track at this station, waiting for us to get by. The switchman had
carelessly left the switch open after this train went by, and when we
came along afterward, our train, instead of running in by the platform,
went crashing into the freight train. If we had been going fast, great
damage might have been done. As it was, our engine was smashed so badly
that it could not take us on; the passengers were frightened; and we
were having a tedious time waiting for another engine to come and take
us to Riverdale.

After the accident, the trainmen were so busy that Miss Laura could get
no one to release me.

While I sat by her, I noticed an old gentleman staring at us. He was
such a queer-looking old gentleman. He looked like a poodle. He had
bright brown eyes, and a pointed face, and a shock of white hair that he
shook every few minutes. He sat with his hands clasped on the top of his
cane, and he scarcely took his eyes from Miss Laura's face. Suddenly he
jumped up and came and sat down beside her.

"An ugly dog, that," he said, pointing to me.

Most young ladies would have resented this, but Miss Laura only looked
amused. "He seems beautiful to me," she said, gently.

"H'm, because he's your dog," said the old man, darting a sharp look at
me. "What's the matter with him?"

"This is his first journey by rail, and he's a little frightened."

"No wonder. The Lord only knows the suffering of animals in
transportation," said the old gentleman. "My dear young lady, if you
could see what I have seen, you'd never eat another bit of meat all the
days of your life."

Miss Laura wrinkled her forehead. "I know--I have heard," she faltered.
"It must be terrible."

"Terrible--it's awful," said the gentleman. "Think of the cattle on the
western plains. Choked with thirst in summer, and starved and frozen in
winter. Dehorned and goaded on to trains and steamers. Tossed about and
wounded and suffering on voyages. Many of them dying and being thrown
into the sea. Others landed sick and frightened. Some of them
slaughtered on docks and wharves to keep them from dropping dead in
their tracks. What kind of food does their flesh make? It's rank poison.
Thre