Sabine howled for a little while; then, after a few minutes, she settled down between our legs, and seemed to have forgotten all about them.
But when we reached the gate we had to undo Sabine, who leapt from the carriage to the ground without touching the step, and took the road back to Brassoire at full speed.
It was in vain my brother-in-law whistled and called her; the louder he called, the more he whistled, the more Sabine quickened her pace.
He could not go after her at that hour: it was midnight. Victor consigned her to Diana the huntress, and we went in, taking care to leave the garden door open, so that Sabine could get in to her kennel, if by chance she took it into her head to return home.
Next morning the earliest riser amongst us found Sabine in her kennel, asleep, with her three pups between her paws.
She had sought them at Brassoire, and as she could only bring home one at a time in her mouth, she had evidently made three journeys for them.
It was three and a half leagues from Villers-Cotterets and Brassoire; so Sabine had run twenty-one leagues during the night.
Her maternal devotion was rewarded by being allowed to keep her three puppies.