But the ten miles were nearly traversed; almost the last hope was
gone. Into every thicket and lurking place by the road-side had he
peered--but no Phronsie! Deacon Brown's horse began to lag.

"Go on!" said Ben hoarsely; "oh, dear Lord, make me find her!"

The hot sun poured down on the boy's face, and he had no cap.
What cared he for that? On and on he went. Suddenly the horse
stopped. Ben doubled up the reins to give him a cut, when
"WHOA!" he roared so loud that the horse in very astonishment
gave a lurch that nearly flung him headlong. But he was over the
wheel in a twinkling, and up with a bound to a small thicket of
scrubby bushes on a high hill by the road-side. Here lay a little
bundle on the ground, and close by it a big, black dog; and over the
whole, standing guard, was a boy a little bigger than Ben, with
honest gray eyes. And the bundle was Phronsie!

"Don't wake her up," said the boy, warningly, as Ben, with a
hungry look in his eyes, leaped up the hill, "she's tired to death!"

"She's my sister!" cried Ben, "our Phronsie!"

"I know it," said the boy kindly; "but I wouldn't wake her up yet if I
were you. I'll tell you all about it," and he took Ben's hand which
was as cold as ice.

SAFE

"It's all right, Prince," the boy added, encouragingly to the big dog