dog would be sent back by himself in the
night time. The wise creature picked out the very sheep the man had
selected, separated them from the rest of the flock, and drove them
before him, often a distance of ten or twelve miles, till he came up
with his master, to whom he delivered them up.

[Illustration]

XX

A MOTHER'S AFFECTION

While a ship on a voyage of discovery to the North Pole was locked in
the ice, one morning the man at the masthead reported that three bears
were making their way toward the vessel. They had, no doubt, been
attracted by the scent of some blubber of a sea-horse which the crew was
burning on the ice at the time. They proved to be a mother bear and her
two cubs; but the cubs were nearly as large as their mother. They ran
eagerly to the fire, drew out the part of the flesh that remained
unburned, and ate it greedily. The crew threw great lumps of the flesh
upon the ice, and the old bear carried them away, one by one, laying a
lump before each of her cubs, as she brought it, and thus dividing it,
keeping only a small share for herself. As she was carrying off the last
piece, the sailors shot both the cubs dead and wounded the mother, but
not fatally. It would have touched the heart of all but the most
unfeeling had they seen the affectionate concern of this poor animal in
the dying moments of her young. Though terribly wounded herself, she
crawled to the place where they lay, carrying a lump of flesh with her.
She tore the lump in pieces, and laid it before them. When she saw that
they refused to eat, she laid her paws first upon one, then upon the
other, and tried to raise them up, moaning meanwhile most pitifully.
Finding she could not stir them, she went off, and when she had gone
some distance, looked back and moaned, and called them. As that did not
seem to entice them away, she crawled back, and smelling round them,
began to lick their wounds. She went off a second time a few paces,
looked behind her again, and for some time stood moaning and calling. As
the cubs did not rise to follow her, she returned once more, and with
signs of inexpressible fondness went round them, caressing them with her
paws. Finding at last that they were cold and lifeless, she raised her
head toward the ship, and growled a curse upon their murderers, which
they returned with a volley of musket balls. She fell between her cubs,
and died licking their wounds.

[Illustration]

XXI

A STRANGE