“Pep,” he said, lifting the canteen feebly and tossing it a few feet away.
“Bring, Pep. Bring.”
The dog at once sprang to the canteen and brought it in his mouth to his master.
“Good dog, we’ll try again. This time he tossed it towards the brook, which was about twenty feet away. Again Pep retrieved the canteen. Then the doctor threw the canteen as far towards the brook as he could, having first removed the top. It fell just a little short, but Pep brought it to him, thinking it a fine game.
The next time the physician had the satisfaction of hearing it drop in the water. Pep was after it in a flash. This was great fun.
To the doctor’s disgust there were only a few drops of water in the canteen when the dog returned with it as he had held it on its side. But even these few drops were most grateful to the parched tongue. The next time they had much better luck. Pep by accident held it by the nozzle and the doctor found the canteen half full of water. He seized it with delight and drank long and deep. Then he petted and praised Pep generously and with a deep sigh of satisfaction lay down to rest.
“You stay here, old comrade, and watch while I sleep. I’m just about all in. When I have rested we will see if we can get out of this.”
Soon his beloved master was so quiet that Pep was once more alarmed lest he become like the dead soldier he had seen beside the brook a few rods back. For a long time he sat on his haunches watching. Occasionally he would steal close to the man and lick his hand or face. Then he would return to his silent vigil.
In the bushes near by he could hear a wounded soldier groaning and moaning, talking in his delirium. In another direction he could hear some one breathing deeply. The doctor could have told him that this man was dying, but Pep did not know this. All about them in the woods shells were bursting. Shrapnel was making the woods hideous, stripping the foliage and green branches from the already partly denuded trees.
Through open places Pep could see strange lights to the north. These were signal rockets.