The Slav picked up a
filled basket and shoved it at Sonya.
"Jump!" he ordered. "Keep moving. Be back here in one minute!"
With a sigh of enormous relief and a pat of furtive gratitude to
Lad, the child set forth on her errand. Yet, even at risk of a
sharper rebuke, she accommodated her pace to Lad's stately slow
steps.
Hitherto she had loved the dog for no special reason except that
her heart somehow went out to him. But now she had a practical
cause for her devotion. Lad had stood between her and a fist
blow. He had risked, she knew not what, to defy her all-terrible
father and to protect her from punishment.
As soon as she was out of Ruloff's sight, she set down her
basket, and flung both puny arms about the dog's neck in an agony
of gratitude.
Her squeeze almost strangled the weak old collie. But there was
love in it. And because of that, he reveled in the hurt.
"You won't let him thump me!" she whispered in the dog's ear.
"You won't let him. I'd never be afraid of him, if you were
there. Oh, Laddie, you're so darling!"
Lad, highly pleased, licked her wizened little face and, sitting
down, insisted on shaking hands with her.
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