Prince Jan, St. Bernard | Page 2

that as long as you live!"

Bruno understood that the soft little whimpers were promises that each
puppy would do his best when the test came to him. Jan and Rollo
watched the old dog, limping from rheumatism in his shoulders, move
slowly across the enclosed yard that opened from the kennels. Bruno
was no longer able to go out on the trails, but spent his days teaching
the young dogs. Sometimes he would lie asleep, and when his paws
jerked and his tail moved, Jan's mother would say, "Be quiet, children!
Bruno is dreaming he is out on the trail."
Then she would speak softly, "When you are older you will be taught to
break trails through the snow and carry food and wine, fastened about
your necks. You may be tempted, when the wind howls and the snow
blinds you, to sneak back or hide in a sheltered place. You must not
forget, as long as you live, that there was never a traitor or coward in
your father's family or in mine. When you remember this, you will
stagger on or crawl, if you cannot stand, and keep your nose close to
the ground, sniffing and sniffing."
She turned her head toward the white peaks that loomed high above the
stone walls around the enclosure. "Only a St. Bernard can tell whether
the snow which has drifted during the night is strong enough to bear the
weight of a man, or whether that man would sink beyond rescuing."
Jan and his brother waited respectfully when she stopped speaking and
stared at the mountain-tops, until she said, "Sometimes, you will find
an ice-bridge. Then you must go very carefully. If it creaks beneath
your weight, never let any human being step on it, even if you must
fight him back. Your father, Rex, died when an ice-bridge broke
through; but he saved four men from death. Always remember one
thing. To die doing one's duty is the greatest honor that can come to a
St. Bernard."
The two puppies whined softly and their mother knew that each of her
children was promising that he would do his best to be worthy of such a
father.
"Ah," said Prince Jan to his brother, as their mother crossed the yard
toward the kennel, "some day we, too, will go out and do our work.

Won't that be glorious, Rollo?"
In their happiness they raced to their mother, who watched them with
loving, proud eyes. When they reached her side Jan measured himself
to see how much bigger he must grow, for though he was large for his
age, he was only six months old.
"Oh, if I could only grow faster, mother!" he cried.
"Be patient, Jan," she answered, biting his ear gently. "Your time is
coming soon!"
"My time is coming! My time is coming!" Jan leaped and barked in
glee.
"Mine, too!" called Rollo. "We'll work together, Jan!"
The big door leading from the enclosure where the dogs romped and
played swung open, and two men who came out, stood looking at the
dogs. The puppies watched eagerly, for these men had charge of the
youngsters. All the dogs knew them, and even if the men had been
strangers the Hospice dogs would have known they were monks who
belonged to the Hospice, for the clothes they wore were different from
the clothes of other men who came to the Hospice for a day or two.
A long, black, close-fitting coat reached almost to the feet of each
monk, a peaked hood hung between his shoulders and a little round,
black, skull-cap was on his head. All of the monks dressed the same
way, and when it was cold and they went out on the trail, they took off
the little cap and pulled the peaked hood over their heads and around
their ears.
The dogs hurried to the monks and one of the men leaned down and felt
Jan's legs and back. Prince Jan looked anxiously into the two kindly
faces. He had seen them do the same thing with other puppies, and
afterwards many of his playmates went away and never returned. At
first he and Rollo thought they had died on the trail, like their ancestors;
but Jan's mother shook her head sadly and said, "They were not strong

enough to do the work."
Now he remembered this and wondered if he would be sent away. His
little legs and back stiffened so that the monks would see how strong he
was.
"I believe this will be one of the best dogs we have had since Barry's
time," said Brother Antoine, running his hand along Jan's back. "He has
wonderful muscles and a very strong back. We will take him out and
give him a trial to-morrow."
Jan