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the man had observed from whence the dog started in the morning, and hasted to the place, expecting to find him sleeping beyond the old earthen dike: he found the nest, but the birds were flown,—he called aloud; Oscar trembled and clung to Duncan’s breast; Duncan peeped from his purple covert like a heathcock on his native waste, and again beheld the ruffian coming straight towards them, with his staff still heaved, and fury in his looks;—when he came within a few yards he bellowed out; “Oscar, yho, yho!" Oscar quaked, and crept still closer to Duncan’s breast; Duncan almost sunk in the earth; “D———n him,’’ said the Englishman, “if I had a hold of him I should make both him and the little thievish rascal dear at a small price; they cannot be far gone —I think I hear them;” he then stood listening, but at that instant a farmer came up on horseback, and having heard him call, asked him if he had lost his dog? The peasant answered in the affirmative, and added, that a blackguard boy had stolen him. The farmer said that he met a boy with a dog about a mile forward. During this dialogue, the farmer’s dog came up to Duncan’s den,—smelled upon him, then upon Oscar,—cocked his tail, walked round them growling, and then behaved in a very improper and uncivil manner to Duncan, who took all patiently, uncertain whether he was yet discovered. But so intent was the fellow upon the farmer’s intelligence, that he took no notice of the discovery made by the dog, but ran off without looking over his shoulder.
Duncan felt this a deliverance so great that all his other distresses vanished; and as soon as the man was out of his sight, he arose from his covert, and ran over the moor, and ere it was long came to a shepherd’s house, where he got some whey and bread for his breakfast, which he thought the best meat he had ever tasted, yet shared it with Oscar.
Though I had his history from his own mouth, yet
