PILOT GOES AWAY
Pilot's dog-life had fallen into pleasant paths. His days were one
happy round of comfortable hours, spent close to the big fireplace or
at Billy's heels. He slept on an old blanket in the hallway outside of
Billy's door. His friends were Billy's friends and their dogs--Pilot
was loyal and democratic to the end of his stubby tail. His duties were
few and pleasant--to guard his master and his master's family, to keep
the next-door cat away from his door and to inspect daily the refuse
barrels in the backyards of his street. If he had a sorrow it was that
he could not go to school with the children, but he always went with
them to the corner, lifted his paw for a parting shake, watched them
disappear from sight, and trotted home to wait for the hour when they
would return. Twice daily Nora fed him choice scraps and bones which he
ate from a plate in the back hall, and if occasionally someone spoke
sharply to him or rebuked him for thoughtlessly lying upon one of the
chairs or the davenport, the sting was always softened by a pat on his
head. What hardships he had had in the past had been forgotten--he had
no concern for the future!
Of course Pilot could not always understand the language his master
spoke. He read mostly by signs. So, one morning, when he saw Billy and
Peggy and Keineth making preparations for some out-of-door pleasure, he
stood eagerly at Billy's heels, wagging his tail to tell his master
that he was ready, too.
"We can't take him on the street-car," Peggy complained.
"And he might get lost in the woods," Keineth added.
Now Pilot could not know that the children were putting on heavy
rubbers and warm sweaters under their coats because they were going to
"hike" into the woods to see if the sap was beginning to run. And from
their excited remarks he could not reason that, to get to the woods,
they would have to take the street-car to the city line and dogs were
not allowed on the street-cars. It was Saturday, and Saturday to Pilot
meant a whole day with Billy! So when they were quite ready he dashed
ahead to the door.
"You can't go Pilot. Go back!" Billy said sternly.
He stood very still and watched them disappear through the door, giving
only one little whimper. They did not even say good-by; he heard their
merry voices slowly die away. Then he lay down on the floor with one
eye on the closed door.
But even the most faithful will not wait forever. The sound of Nora's
step coaxed him into the kitchen. It was quite nice there--the sun was
shining across the white floor and something on the stove smelled very
good. Nora was singing, too, which meant that he could coax a little
and get in her way. After a while she gave him a whole cookie--he felt
happier!
A little later, having wandered several times through the empty rooms
of the house and found no one, he started out of doors in search of
some amusement. He chased the cat to the veranda roof from which she
refused to descend. He saw a friend of Billy's, so he left the cat to
walk with him to the corner. He carefully examined some boxes that were
piled there, then he made friends with a stray terrier who stopped to
exchange greetings with him. Pilot liked the terrier, together they
trotted down the street, block after block.
He did not notice a big limousine car that passed and re-passed him--to
him these motor cars were of no interest excepting to keep out from
under their wheels. But when it stopped suddenly at the curb and an old
man climbed out, calling "Jacky, Jacky!" he paused.
The old man was beckoning to his chauffeur and talking in an excited
voice.
"Come and look at him! I know it's Jacky," he was saying.
At the name a memory stirred in Pilot's mind. He advanced slowly to the
man. The man held out his hand and called again, "Jacky," and Pilot
went to him and laid his nose in the palm of the man's hand.
"It's Jacky, it's Jacky," the old man cackled. "He'd always do that
when I called him! Look at his ears--one got torn and I had a stitch
taken in it! Look and see, Briggs, my eyes are so bad." Briggs pushed
back the hair on Pilot's ears and found the scar. The old man was very
joyful.
"He was stolen from me two years ago! Look on his collar, Briggs."
Briggs read aloud the address on the collar.
"We'll take him there right away, Briggs! Come on, Jacky, my boy!"
But Pilot considered this going a little too far--he objected, at which
the man Briggs lifted him and placed him in the automobile. He was far
too polite to struggle for his freedom, but he put his paws upon the
door and barked a vigorous protest.
Mrs. Lee had just returned from shopping and answered the bell herself.
Across her mind flashed immediately the explanation of the strange
group on her doorstep. In a few words she told the old man the story of
Pilot's coming into their family. As he listened he nodded several
times.
"I cared more for that dog than anything on earth," he told her. "He
was always with me! When he was stolen I couldn't get over it,
Madam--just couldn't get over it! Felt as if I'd lost my only friend!"
Mrs. Lee wished she could feel sympathetic, but she was thinking of
Billy!
"Now let him go, Briggs, and you watch him, Madam!"
Briggs released his hold of Pilot's collar, Pilot leaped upon Mrs. Lee
joyfully, tore down the length of the hall and back and then stood a
little apart, eyeing suspiciously the strange group.
"Come, Jacky, come Jacky!" cackled the old man, holding out his hand.
And Pilot, above all else, was faithful! Slowly, reluctantly, he went
towards the outstretched hand and laid his nose in it.
"Always did that when I called him! See his ear, Madam--I had a stitch
taken in it when he tore it! See the scar?"
There was no doubt in Mrs. Lee's mind but that the dog belonged to the
man.
"My children are going to be heartbroken," she commenced slowly. "Could
we buy--"
The old man snorted angrily. "Buy Jacky? Don't you know he's a very
valuable dog? And anyway, you haven't enough money to buy his
companionship from me! Your children can get another dog, Madam, but
for me there is only one Jacky!" As he spoke with fumbling fingers he
drew out a card and a dollar bill. "Pay the boy his dollar, Madam. Take
him down, Briggs. Very sorry, Madam, but good-day!"
Briggs pulled on the collar and Pilot went down the steps very slowly.
He knew in his dog-mind that something was happening! He turned and
looked appealingly at Mrs. Lee. She was standing very still and was not
helping him at all! He tried to tell her to tell Billy that he had to
do his duty and when this man called him Jacky he knew he had to go,
but he would always love his young master best!
So when the children returned to the house, cheeks red with the wind,
splashed with mud, tired and happy, there was no Pilot to greet them!
Mrs. Lee told them the story; tried to tell it in such a way that the
children would feel sorry for the lonely old man who had been so happy
at finding his dog!
But Billy raged--his high-pitched voice choking over the sob that
struggled in his throat. He threw the dollar and the card savagely to
the floor.
"Wouldn't you have thought the old thing would have at least given
Billy a reward!" cried Peggy indignantly.
Though she did not answer this, Mrs. Lee smiled, as she recalled the
reluctance with which the old man had extracted even the one-dollar
bill from his pocket.
"I don't want any old reward--I just want Pilot! If we hadn't gone away
and left him that old man would never have found him," Billy wailed.
"Couldn't we buy him, Mother?"
"The dog is worth a great deal of money. I'm afraid we could scarcely
afford it, my dear, even if the man would part with him. Billy must
look at the thing in a sensible way." She laid her hand on Billy's
shoulder. "Pilot will miss you as much as you do him, my son! But you
have a great many other things to make you happy and I should judge
that that old man had nothing!"
Keineth went up to her room to take off her muddy shoes. On her bureau
she found a letter Nora had placed there. In the corner of the envelope
was printed in large letters: "Brown and Company." She tore it open
with fingers trembling with excitement. It was from the music
publishers, telling her that they would publish her "Castle of Dreams,"
and for its purchase had enclosed a check.
And Keineth, unfolding the small slip of paper, saw written there: "The
Sum of Twenty-five Dollars."
"Peggy! Peg-gy!"