PART 6
Caesar was ready to follow the donkey on which his young master was sitting. Wagging his tail gladly, he waited impatiently for the company to start on the journey. At this moment, one of the brothers came with a strong cord, tied it around the neck of the dog, and dragged the unwilling and resisting animal into the cabin, and locked the door.
“Can’t Caesar come along?” asked William.
“No,” replied the oldest one.
“Then give him a little bread and water, so that he won’t starve while we are in the forest,” said the little one.
“Do not mind things which are not your business,” replied the second one in a rough manner; “we will take care of the dog.”
William said no more, but with difficulty he kept the rising tears back.
At length, they began their journey—up hill and down hill, to the right and to the left, and about noon they came to an open space where they stopped and built a fire, cooked and ate their dinner. After a few hours, they started forward again and in the evening they came to a large cave, near which a fine spring was bubbling. Here they spent the night, and William was so tired that he fell asleep without taking any supper.
The following day, they went on their journey through thick forest, the same as the day before. There seemed to be no end to it. As it was getting dark, they came to a place where four paths met. Here they halted and built a fire because of the wolves.
“I do not understand why you have come so far. We must be now many miles away from home,” said William timidly.
“To shoot deer,” replied one of the brothers.
“But not very far from our cabin there is plenty of game. Why have you gone so far?”
“You shall soon know why,” was the short answer, and when he would have asked more questions, he was told to keep quiet. After supper, the brothers soon stretched out on the grass and were fast asleep. William, too, selected a place near the fire to sleep, but before lying down, he knelt and folded his hands as his father had taught him, and whispered, “Dear Father, think of me, and take care of me. Thou knowest my father is dead, and my brothers do not love me. I have nobody on earth that loves me, only Caesar, and they have locked him up in the cabin. O, blessed God, remember me and protect me. I ask it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.”
After praying, he laid down and soon went to sleep. Then it seemed to him, as if someone said to him,
“Fear not, I will take care of you.”
Sleep in peace, poor boy! the faithful, never slumbering eye of thy mighty and loving Father watches over thee.
How it would have frightened him, if he had seen his brothers rise cautiously, very early in the morning, and saddle the donkey and quietly slip away. Their wicked plot had succeeded. Soon they were hidden in the forest and William was alone. Our little friend slept, undisturbed, till the sun was quite high, throwing his warm rays right into his face. he could not, at first, remember where he was, and how he got to this place, but when he saw the smoking embers at his side, the two days’ experience came before his mind. But where was the donkey which had carried him so faithfully, and where were his brothers?
He jumped up and called his brothers as loud as he could, but the only answer he received was the echo of his own voice. Suddenly, the thought came to him that his brothers might have wickedly forsaken him. He could hardly believe it, but when noon came and nothing could be seen or heard of them, he began to cry bitterly. What should become of him—alone in the great forest, among wolves, and, perhaps, other wild beasts!
“O, how wicked you are!” sobbed the little fellow, when he thought of his brothers. “You have brought me here, and left me. What would father say, if he knew it!”
ML 02/12/1939