“Wait a moment, wife,” said the Goodman, “I have somewhat to tell thee.  There is ever a black spot in our sunshine.  Though the danger grows less all the while as the settlements increase, it is still true that the Indians are ever a menace, and I fear they are over watchful of us.”  Then he told her of the attack in the forest.  “I have reason to think the red-skins spied upon us all the way to Boston town,” he finished.  “I did not tell Daniel, but twice I saw savages on our trail after we left Kittredge’s.  I wounded one in the encounter, and they will not forget that.  I know not why they should plot against the black boy, unless it is to revenge themselves upon me, but it is certain they tried to drag him away with them into the woods.”  The Goodwife listened with a pale face.

“’T is well, then, that we have a watchdog added to our possessions,” she said at last.  “Gran’ther Wattles’s shepherd hath a litter of pups, and he hath promised one to the children.  Nancy hath waited until Dan came home that he might share the pleasure of getting it with her.”

“She hath a generous heart,” said her father, tenderly.  “Aye,—­she is a good lass, though headstrong.”

When their mother reached the cabin, she found the Twins up and dressed and Daniel trying to rouse the sleeping Zeb.  “Wake up,” he shouted, giving him a shake.  Zeb rolled over with a grunt and opened his eyes.

“Take him outdoors while I get breakfast,” said the Goodwife.  “Mercy upon me, what shall I do with a blackamoor and a dog both underfoot!”

“A dog!” cried Daniel.  “What dog?  Where is he?”

“Nancy will tell thee,” said his mother, and, not able to wait a moment to hear and tell such wonderful news, the two children rushed out at once, followed by Zeb.  When their mother called the family to breakfast half an hour later, Zeb had been shown the garden, the corn-field, the cow-shed, the pig-sty, the straw-stack where eggs were to be found, the well with its long well-sweep, and the samp-mill.  He had had the sheep pointed out to him, and been introduced to Eliza, the cow, and allowed to give Penny a measure of corn.  The children had shouted the name of each object to him as they had pointed it out, and Zeb had shown his white teeth and grinned and nodded a great many times, as if he understood.

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“I know he ’s seen eggs before, for he sucked one,” Dan told his mother.  Zeb was given his breakfast on the door-stone, and Dan tried to teach him the use of a spoon, without much success; and afterwards he was brought in to family prayers.  His eyes rolled apprehensively as he looked from one kneeling figure to another, but, obeying Dan’s gesture, he knelt beside him, and for ten minutes he stuck it out:  then, as the prayer continued to pour in an uninterrupted stream from the Goodman’s lips, he quietly crawled out on all fours and disappeared through the door.  Dan found him afterwards out