JASPER. 115
Phonny’s inquiries. Mr. Woodman waits patiently.

whenever his master was in any lonely situation where
Jasper thought that a fire would be advantageous, he
always immediately went to work to gather fuel for it.”

“But how did he suppose,” said Phonny, “that Mr.
Woodman could set the sticks on fire?”

“He did not know,” replied Beechnut, “but that he
had some matches in his pocket.”

“Well, if he had,” replied Phonny, “it would have
done no good, for they would have all got drenched
through, while Mr. Woodman was swimming in the
river.”

“ True,” said Beechnut, “ but Jasper, though he was a
very intelligent dog, did not know enough about matches
to understand that they would not burn when they were
wet. So he went on bringing the fuel until he had made
quite a pile, and he wondered why his master did not
build a fire with it.

“ At last he got tired of what seemed to be a useless
labour, and not knowing what else to do, came and lay
down by Mr. Woodman’s feet. Mr. Woodman himself
did not know what he could do, except to wait patiently
for the water to subside. Thus they remained for three
hours: The horse stayed all this time too, near the white
rock where Jasper had left him, eating the grass and
herbage which grew about there.

“ At length Jasper began to grow hungry. He thought
that his master must be hungry too, and so he concluded
to go and see if he could not get something to eat. He
accordingly left Mr. Woodman, who was at this time ex-
amining a mark that he had made on the shore, im order
to see whether the water was falling or not, and plunging
into the current he swam back to the great white rock.

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