Dick Lionheart | Page 8

at one end and the blocks at the other, and all
the chips in the middle.
"Must be Lionheart when there's threepence to be earned, even if you
are tired all over," he murmured, as he trudged to and fro. Presently a
cheerful sound of teacups and a delightful smell of toast came from the
cottage, and then the old woman brought out a broom to sweep up the
mess.

"That's right, my lad. Why, bless me, you have been quick! And you've
stacked them a sight better than I could myself. You shall wash your
hands and come in and have some tea before you go on. As to the little
dog I should like to keep him, he's so pretty and peart. I s'pose you
don't want to part with him?"
"Oh, no, thank you, ma'am," said Dick quickly, "but I should like some
tea, I am so thirsty." And in five minutes Dick was sitting at the round
table and telling Mrs. Grey a little bit of his story, while Pat finished a
saucerful of sop and then looked up knowingly at his master, as if to
say, "These are famous quarters--don't tramp any further to-night."
"Poor boy," said Mrs. Grey, as she wiped her spectacles, "it's a long
way for you to go, and coming on dead of winter too. I don't see how
you're going to manage it. But you shall have a shakedown on the old
sofa here, for to-night. I am sure I can trust you, or rather trust Him
who said 'Inasmuch.'"
"I knew He would help me," said Dick gratefully, "but I didn't expect
anything so good as this."
"But He always gives more than our expectings or deservings," said the
old woman kindly, as she put another log on the fire. "See what a
splendid load of wood He's sent me for the winter, and then He sent
you along, just in time to stow it away. As I get older my prayers
always seem turned to praise before I've done, there's so much to be
glad for."
Dick slept soundly on the old sofa, with Pat curled up at his feet, but he
woke next morning in time to light the fire and put the kettle on, before
Mrs. Grey came down. And, looking at his bright face and seeing his
handy ways, she felt almost inclined to keep Pat and his master.
But after breakfast they started at once, Dick's jacket pockets stuffed
full of provisions and the threepenny bit jingling merrily against
Paddy's half-crown. But there was no chance of earning more that day,
and they had to sleep in the loose hay at the foot of a hay rick,
belonging to a distant farm.

Fortunately the wind had changed and the weather was warmer, and
they were none the worse for the camping out.
Dick was trudging manfully on a day or two afterwards, hoping to
reach the town of Weyn before nightfall, when a lumbering carrier's
waggon with a black canvas roof came jolting along, at a great rate,
behind. "Steady, there! Whoa, I say. What ails thee now? Steady!"
The big brown horse was pulling and straining at the bit and looking
very wild, while the driver tugged at the reins in a frantic attempt to
pull up, and two women passengers inside the van began to scream.
Without a thought of danger Lionheart sprang from the side of the road
and dashed towards the horse's head, clutching at the reins, and a farm
labourer, coming in the opposite direction, threw up his arms in front.
[Illustration: "WITHOUT A THOUGHT OF DANGER, LIONHEART
DASHED TOWARDS THE HORSE'S HEAD."]
Startled by this double onslaught the horse swerved and then stood still,
trembling with fright.
"It's the strap!" cried Dick, breathlessly. "See, that strap has broken and
the end was flicking his side, and that frightened him."
"Sure enough, and I couldn't think what ailed him," cried the driver,
wiping the perspiration from his brow. "Seven years I've had Boxer,
and he never played me that trick afore. I'm very much obliged to ye,
my brave lad, and you too, friend, and I'll stand a shilling apiece and
thankful. The canal bridge is just a half mile further on, and if he hadn't
been stopped and the bridge had chanced to be open----"
The labourer took the shilling with a grin, and held the horse while the
carrier mended the broken strap with string, but Dick said hesitatingly,
"I don't want a whole shilling just for trying to hold him, it's too much.
But would you mind giving me a lift instead. We're going to Weyn, and
we've walked such a long way."

"With all the pleasure in life," said carrier Brown, good-naturedly.
"You want to get to fair,