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 water, while mamma carried
him gently toward the house.
No one seemed to be in such good spirits as Ponto. He danced and
jumped, trying to catch Frankie's foot, and whisked his tail up and
down, and did every thing he could to express his joy at having his
little friend safe again.
How and when the ladies went away mamma did not know. She carried her
dear boy up into the nursery, and then sank down, and began to cry. When
Sally saw her, she cried too; and Jane, who, was pulling off Frankie's
stockings, wiped her eyes with her apron. They were all crying for joy
that dear, darling little Frankie had not been drowned. And mamma
whispered a few words as she bent over her boy. She knew that God could
hear, and so she said, "O my heavenly Father, I do thank thee for
restoring my precious child to my arms. Once more I give him to thee."
While she was washing him, she told Sally that she had heard Ponto bark
some time before, but could not see that Frankie was with him. "I shall
always love Ponto," she said, "for he saved my boy."
Ponto was lying on the hearth rug, resting himself. He had had a great
deal to do that morning, and he had done it well. Now, when he heard
mamma repeat his name, he rapped with his tail on the floor.
"Good fellow!" said mamma; "good Ponto!"
He rapped again, louder than before. This was the way he meant to say,
"I am as glad as you are, that dear Frankie is safe."
When the little fellow had been dressed in his clean clothes, Sally said
she would run down to the water and bring up his wheelbarrow, which she
saw there. Jane went with her, and they found where he went in, for his
tiny shoe was sticking fast in the mud. Then they went round to the
other side, where Ponto had carried him, and found it was very deep
water, so that if the noble dog had not taken him out, he must have been
drowned.
When Willie came home from school, and heard what a trusty friend Ponto
had been, he put his arms round the dog's neck and kissed him. Frankie
had kissed him very often, but Willie had never done so before. But
Ponto seemed to understand it very well; and when papa came in, all the
while mamma was telling him about poor Frankie's accident, he stood
gazing into her face.
For a few moments papa could not speak; his heart was too full. He
walked away to the window and wiped his eyes; but presently he came
back, and patted Ponto on the head, and said, "Noble Ponto! good
fellow!"
Then Ponto knew that he was glad too; and he went to the bed where
Frankie was lying, and putting up his fore paws, began to lick the
little fellow's hand.
When Sally took up the wet clothes to carry them to the wash, there were
the marks of Ponto's teeth, where he had fastened them firmly through
the dress, cambric and flannel skirts.