m. Tom could not swim, so he dared not follow.

"Stick on, Tiny Paul, stick on," he shouted.

But Tiny Paul was crying too much to hear him. Just then a stout weed
caught the child's foot. Tiny Paul let go the mane. The pony swam on;
the weed dragged Tiny Paul off, and the next moment Tom saw only one
little hand clutching at the air above the water.

Sam Green was still some way off at that sad moment. He hobbled on till
he reached the edge of the pond, where he found Tom, who crawled out,
sighing and crying bitterly.

"Where's the child; where is Tiny Paul?" shrieked out the old man.

Tom said nothing, but pointed to the middle of the pond.

Sam did not seem to know what Tom meant, but looked to the other side,
where the pony was standing shaking his shaggy sides.

"Where is Tiny Paul? where is Tiny Paul?" again asked the old man.

"Down in there," said Tom, pointing to the middle of the pond.

Sam Green fell back as if shot. Tom thought that he was dead, and
jumping up, ran off to call for help. He told everybody he met till he
reached his master's house.

People made out that some one was drowned; but whether it was Sam Green
or Tiny Paul, they could not tell.

Among those Tom met was Farmer Grey. He at once rode to the pond, where
he found poor Sam lying where he had fallen. Sam was carried back to
his own cottage by order of the farmer, who sent at once for a doctor.
The doctor came and said he would recover if treated with care.

"Then I will stay by him till I can find some one to take my place,"
said Farmer Grey.

Meantime the pond was dragged, and Tiny Paul's body was found: not Tiny
Paul though; he had gone far away, to the bosom of One who loves little
children, and because of that love often takes them to Himself.

Tiny Paul's body was taken to the cottage of his father and mother.
John Dixon could not speak for sorrow; and Mrs Dixon, bursting into
tears, threw herself on the body, and would not be comforted.

Some hours passed, and Sam Green awoke, as if out of a deep sleep. The
first words he spoke were about Tiny Paul.

"Tiny Paul is in the hands of One gentle and kind, who will care for him
far more than you or his father and mother can," said the farmer. "Do
not grieve for Tiny Paul."

"What's that you say, Master Grey?" asked Sam quickly.

"That Tiny Paul is better off now than he might have been had you or his
father or mother brought him up," said the farmer. "What is