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After Long Years and Other Stories by Unknown
page 77 of 193 (39%)
faithfully do our best, God will not forsake us. Perhaps this calamity
may in time bring us some blessing."




CHAPTER II

THE FAITHFUL DOG


Shortly after the Swifts fled, on the night of the flood, the walls of
their house had fallen with a thud, and only the strong beams remained
standing. By the time the house collapsed, the baby in its cradle had
drifted many miles down the river, along the banks of which much damage
had been wrought. The cradle passed a village which had been built on an
eminence and had consequently escaped.

The villagers who had gathered near the shore saw various household
goods floating down the river; there a table, here a chair, yonder a
trunk, and in one place even the entire roof of a house.

Two daring boys ventured to stand as near the water's edge as possible,
in order to see things a little better. All of a sudden one of the boys
cried: "Oh, see, there is a cradle afloat in mid-stream!" The other boy,
whose sight was keener, shouted: "See, a dog is swimming after it and is
trying to push it toward the shore!"

Several strong men standing near-by had long hooked poles, and were
busily engaged dragging things out of the river. One of them, a young
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