if you please."

CHAPTER II.

FRANKIE AND HIS DOG.

A FEW days after Frankie's ride on horseback, he was out of doors
playing with Ponto, and he thought he would take a walk down to the
pond. Before this time, he had been a very good boy, and had never gone
through the gate into the road, though sometimes he would stand at the
fence, and look through to see people passing by.

Mamma was busy in the parlor with company; and Sally was at work in the
back part of the house.

When Ponto saw that his master was going into the street, he began to
bark furiously, for he knew this was not exactly right. Mrs. Gray heard
him, and ran to the window; but just at this moment Frankie was behind
a tree, and she did not see him; so she thought that the dog was barking
at something he saw in the road.

For a minute Ponto was very much excited, and ran back toward the house,
but presently turned and followed Frankie to the water.

The little boy did not seem at all afraid, but went right down the steep
path where he had rode on the horse. I suppose he thought the water
looked very pretty, for he walked right into it up to his waist.

A few minutes after Frankie went away from the back door, Sally went out
to shake the hearth rug. As she did not see him any where about, she
called, "Frankie, Frankie! Ponto, Ponto!" She ran around to the front of
the house, still calling, "Frankie, Frankie!" and "Ponto, Ponto!"

Mamma heard her, and ran to the door.

"Have you seen Frankie, ma'am?" asked Sally, pale with fright.

"Where's Ponto?" cried the lady, without stopping to answer.

"There he is," screamed nurse, running as fast as she could toward the
water.

Mamma ran too, and the ladies who were in the parlor; but mamma was so
frightened that her head swam round and round, and she could hardly
stand.

When Ponto heard them coming, he barked louder than ever, but he did not
run toward them; and Sally sprang over the fence without waiting to let
the bars down, and in one moment more caught the poor frightened Frankie
in her arms. Ponto had taken the little fellow in his teeth, and put him
on the bank.

He lay quite still, as if he were very tired, only when Sally placed
him in his mamma's arms, he put up his little wet hand, and tried to
stroke her cheek. His eyes were very red, as if he had been crying, and
his clothes all dripping with water and stained with mud. Sally ran
forward to get the bath tub filled with warm w