His master, it appeared, had been staying at East Hornham the last two nights with an old friend, the clergyman there.

Both nights, on going to bed late, he had missed 'Captain,' whose usual habit was to sleep on a mat at his door.

The first night he was afraid the dog was lost, but to his relief he reappeared again early the next morning; the second night, also, his master happening to be out late at Mr.Turner's, with whom he had a good deal of business to settle, the dog had set off again on his own account to his former quarters, with probably some misty idea in his doggy brain that it was the proper thing to do.
"'But how did you find out where he had been ?' said I.
"'I went out early this morning, feeling rather anxious about 'Captain,'' said our visitor; 'and I met him coming along the road leading from the Grange.

Where he had spent the night after failing to get into his old home I cannot tell; he must have sheltered somewhere to get out of the snow and the cold.

Later this morning I walked on to the Grange, and, hearing from Ruth Atkins of your fright and her own, I put 'two and two together,' and I think the result quite explains the noises you heard.' "'Quite,' we both said; 'and we thank you so much for coming to tell us.' "'It was certainly the very least I could do,' he said; 'and I thank you very much for forgiving poor old Captain.' "So we left East Hornham with lightened hearts, and, as our new friend was travelling some distance in our direction, he helped us to accomplish our journey much better than we could have managed it alone.