At the Master's
order, Lad with sore reluctance left the body of his mate;
whither he had returned after his useless finding of the
footmarks. He had just curled up, in the ditch, pressing close to
her side; and again that unnatural sobbing sound was in his
throat. On the Master's bidding, Lad crossed to the car and
suffered himself to be lifted aboard. The Mistress started down
the drive. As they went, Lad ever looked back, with suffering
despair in his dark eyes, at that huddle of golden fur at the
wayside.
The Master carried the pitifully light armful to a secluded spot
far beyond the stables; and there he buried it. Then, satisfied
that Lad could not find his mate's grave, he returned to the
house.
His heart was heavy with helpless wrath. Again and again, in the
course of their drives, he and the Mistress had sickened at sight
of mutely eloquent little bodies left in mid-road or tossed in
some ditch,--testimony to the carelessness and callous
hoggishness of autoists. Some few of these run-over dogs,--like
poor Lady,--had of course tempted fate; spurred on by that
strange craving which goaded them to fly at cars.
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