It was a cold winter's night at Cloverfield Farm. Outdoors the snow lay
deep on the ground. The cows and the horses were warm in the Old Red
Barn. The hens and chickens were safe in the warm hen house. The pigs
were snug and warm in the pig pen.
Inside the house a big fire was burning merrily in the sitting-room
stove. A fire was burning in the kitchen range.
All the family had gone to bed. Rover had been allowed to sleep in the
kitchen that night instead of in the cold wood shed.
In the middle of the night the wind blew hard and made the kitchen fire
roar up the chimney. It became hot--so hot that the wood around the
chimney began to smoke and burn.
All the family were asleep upstairs. They did not smell the smoke. They
could not see the flames.
But Rover was awakened by the smell of smoke and the crackling of the
fire. The smoke made his eyes smart. He knew that something was wrong,
so he began to bark.
But nobody heard him and nobody came. Then he ran into the dining-room
and barked, but nobody heard him and nobody came.
He went to the door of the hall which had been left open just a little.
Up the stairs, barking and barking, went Rover.
Farmer Hill heard him, and thought, "What is Rover barking for?" Mrs.
Hill heard him and said, "Something must be the matter. Let's go and
see." John heard him and jumped up and ran down stairs. Farmer Hill and
Mrs. Hill ran down stairs.
Then they smelled the smoke and saw the fire.
Mrs. Hill grabbed a pail of water and threw it on the fire.
Mr. Hill went to the cistern pump and pumped a pail of water and threw
it on the fire.
John ran out to the well and brought a pail of water and threw it on
the fire. Sue brought snow and put it on the fire.
All together they worked, and soon the fire stopped blazing and went
out.
"If it had not been for Rover, the house might have burned down," said
Farmer Hill.
"Rover is a good dog," said Mrs. Hill as she patted him.
"Good dog, good dog!" said John and Sue.
They gave Rover a nice warm blanket to lie on, and fixed the stove so
it could not draw so hard.
Then the family went back to sleep.
Rover lay down on the blanket, but he did not go to sleep.
All that night he kept watch.
[Illustration: PRINCE USES HIS EYES]