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 rope, tied it around the neck of the dog, dragged the unwilling and resisting animal into the cabin, and locked the door.
“Can’t Caesar come along?” asked William.
“No,” replied his eldest brother.
“Then give him some 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 older brother roughly; “we will take care of the dog.”
William said no more, but with difficulty he kept back the rising tears.
At length they began their journey—up hill and downhill—to the right and to the left—and about noon they came to an open space where they stopped and built a fire, then 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; William was so tired that he fell asleep without eating 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 don’t understand why you have come so far,” said William timidly. “We must be now many miles away from home.”
“We have come 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 folding his hands as his father had taught him, he 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 you.
How it would have frightened him if he had seen his brothers rise cautiously very early in the morning, 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 its 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 loudly 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!”