Had not Sailor acted so promptly, one trembles to think what might have been the outcome of Hart’s adventure, but as the man bent down to avoid the branches when he entered the pathway, Sailor sprang upon him and bore him to the ground, face downwards, then planted both front feet squarely upon the man’s back and held him firmly by his coat-collar, growling in his ear: “If you know what is well for you, you won’t move!”

“Guard him, Sailor, guard him!” shouted Hart. “Hold him fast, good dog, and I’ll send some one to you!” and, scrambling upon Pinto’s back and leading Ned by his tattered rope, he plunged along the path at a pace fit to bring destruction upon all three. But he had no thought of destruction just then, his only thought being to send some one to the noble dog’s aid. He reached the main road, and was tearing along at breakneck speed, when he came upon a hay-wagon which had just turned in from a roadside field. Pulling up so suddenly that he nearly fell over Pinto’s head, he shouted: “Quick! Quick! Run up into the woods, for Mr. Lombard’s Sailor has caught the man who was trying to steal Ned and is holding him fast.”

All Springdale knew the story, and the three men in the hay-wagon tumbled out of it as one man, to run toward the wood-path as though they had Mercury’s wings upon their feet, while Hart, still quivering with excitement, again pelted off toward home and friends. He was still rivaling John Gilpin when a voice from the side of the road called:

“Oh, Hinkey-Dinkey! Hinkey-Dinkey! Where did you find him? Where did you find him?” and up bounded Pokey, to plant herself almost directly in his path, for joy made her reckless. They were on the lower side of the village, Pokey having walked and walked till she was weary, and then seated herself by the roadside to think things over. Hart slid off Pinto’s back, and both ponies were glad to rest, for Hart had never given a thought to time, distance, or heat in his eagerness to reach home. Both ponies were blowing like porpoises, and for once in her life Pokey forgot all fear of Ned and, gathering his head in her arms, proceeded to sob out her joy upon his neck.

“I say, what the dickens are you crying about now when we’ve got him?” demanded Hart, with a boy’s usual disgust for tears. “Those fellows up there will fix that man all right and Sailor’s a trump. Come on home, for that’s where we want to get Ned now just as quick as ever we can,” and he gave Pokey’s sleeve a pull.

“I know it,” she answered, raising her head from Ned’s silky mane. “But I’m sort of all shaky, I’m so happy, and please let me lead Ned home. He’s awful tired, and will be glad to walk the rest of the way, and I want to take him to Denise, for I couldn’t go to find him, and I wanted to do something so badly.”

“Of course you may lead him, but I thought you were scared to death of him,” said Hart, amazed to find that timid Pokey, who had invariably kept some one between herself and Ned, wanted to lead him. But on they went, and Hart had cause to be more surprised before he was less so, for Pokey hurried along the road, Ned pattering beside her, and occasionally tugging at the rope to hasten her steps as he drew nearer and nearer the dear home and dearer little mistress. Pokey did not take time to go around by the driveway when she reached the grounds, but slipped in through a side gate, and right across the lawn. What happened next will be told presently.

After about an hour’s sleep, Denise awakened much refreshed, and Mrs. Lombard was on hand to say a soothing word the moment her eyes opened. Then followed a long, quiet talk, Denise asking questions and her mother answering them with the utmost care and infinite patience.

“Where is Pokey, mamma?” she asked, after a little.

“I sent her outdoors to freshen up a bit, for she is much disturbed over this misfortune. She will be in soon, I think, dear.”

“Would you mind if I went down into the library, mamma? That room always seems the nicest one to be in when things trouble me, for somehow or other they seem to sort of get straight there.”

“Certainly, we will go down, darling, if you think you can do so, but the poor legs are still pretty stiff.”

“I think I can with your help.”

“Then off we go,” and Mrs. Lombard placed her arm about Denise’s waist to help her down the stairs. In a few moments they were settled in the big chair, Denise saying, with a sigh, as she rested her weary little head against her mother’s shoulder:

“Mamma, why is it that I always feel such a sense of security when you are with me? Then things always seem to go so smoothly, and troubles don’t seem half so hard to bear.”

“I wish that it lay within my power to make all your pathway smooth for you, my darling, and insure a future free from trials. But that cannot be, so I try to make the childhood days sweet and happy ones, that you may carry with you throughout your life a beautiful memory, of which nothing can ever deprive you, and which will bring into the dark days which you like all others, must meet, a ray of sunshine to cheer and gladden you. Then the memory of these precious home hours, our little talks, and confidences, our perfect trust in each other, will come back to you, and, I think, strengthen you to meet the daily trials we must all meet, and to see how you may smooth them out for others when opportunity arises.”

Mrs. Lombard was stroking back the hair from Denise’s forehead as she talked to her, and Denise was toying idly with the ribbons upon her mother’s gown. When Mrs. Lombard finished speaking they sat silent for a moment or two, and then the silence was broken in a startling manner.

“Yes, you can do it if you want to, and you just must ’cause her legs are too stiff for her to come to you. There? Now you see you can, just as well as not! Now another! Another! One more! Another! Now only two more-and—t-h-e-r-e you are!” and then a clatter and a scramble over the piazza, and in through the lace curtains tore Pokey and Ned side by side, one with a cry of, “I had to bring him! I couldn’t wait!” and the other with as joyous a neigh as ever a horse gave voice to. Straight into the library they came pell-mell, and straight into Denise’s arms, to be laughed over and cried over. For the tears which had not come at the sorrow, fell like a refreshing summer shower now, and Denise never knew that they were falling.

Mrs. Lombard and Denise had sprung to their feet as the funny pair entered the library, and both joined in the shout of welcome, and now Pokey, having done her one wild, unbridled act, curled herself up in a little heap in the middle of the floor and, clasping her knees in her arms, swayed back and forth, crying and laughing by turns as she said:

“Hart found him in the woods, and I made him scramble up the piazza-steps, so we both got him! We both got him, didn’t we?”

Need I tell you any more? Yes, I will tell you how Beauty Buttons carried the good news to papa when he came home that evening. Of course all was excitement for a time, for Ned was welcomed like a lost son, the entire family gathering about him as he stood in the middle of the library with Denise hugging him as though she would never give over doing so, and every one trying to find some spot to stroke, for grandma, Eliza, Mary, and John had rushed up to the library to rejoice, eulogize, and all talk at once of Ned’s abduction by “that bad man,” and his rescue by “this blessed boy.” Hart’s head was in a fair way to be turned hind-side-before with sheer conceit, and in future Ned might be expected to demand quarters in the library. After the excitement had subsided a little, John went tearing off to the village to learn the fate of the “bad man” and Sailor, and also to telegraph to Mr. Lombard.

Of course, during all the attention paid to Ned, Beauty was somewhat overlooked, but this he set about remedying himself by first jumping upon a chair, and then upon Ned’s back, where he wriggled about so much that Ned turned his head around to hint at less active demonstrations of joy.

Finally Ned was taken to the “Birds’ Nest” by the children, Denise having speedily recovered under the stimulating influence of so much happiness. During the afternoon Beauty was as fidgety as a flea, and kept running to the entrance-gate every time a train whistled. As six o’clock drew near he vanished, but was not missed by the family because Sailor, who had just been brought home by John, after having held his victim till the men sent by Hart released him and led him to the sheriff’s office, where he was promptly dealt with, was now the conquering hero to be worshiped and commended.

As John’s testimony was required at the sheriff’s office, he was not on hand to drive to the station as usual for Mr. Lombard, but as that gentleman stepped from the train, what should he see perched at the end of the platform, but a tiny black-and-tan dog, with both ears cocked up expectantly, and who, directly he spied his master, rushed toward him fairly squirming and wriggling with excitement. Mr. Lombard said that he felt sure that Beauty was trying to tell him the good news.