“I thank you, sir, but I cannot leave to do it.”
“It will pay you. What do you say to a thousand a year to begin with?”
“I shall have to say no, sir. I wonder what became of those children?”
“They have reached the village by this time. Ha! there come some of the townspeople, and I’ll warrant they will give you a kind word. You deserve it.”
Without knowing what reply to make, Rob watched in silence the approach of the party from the village, among whom he saw Dr. Menter and ’Squire Hardy.
“Come right along and have no fear, gentlemen,” said the voluble keeper. “This creature is powerless to harm you now.”
The relief of the newcomers was shown by their actions as well as words, and when the slayer of the tiger came to describe how Rob had saved the lives of the children, one at least in the crowd was warm in his praise.
That person was Dr. Menter, whose children had been among those saved, and he grasped Rob’s hand, saying fervently:
“Young man, I thank you from the depths of my heart. If you will come down to the house Mrs. Menter will join her thanksgiving with mine. You have done us a favor to-day which will take more than money to repay.”
As these were the first really kind words Rob had heard since coming to Basinburg, they gladdened his heart with uncommon joy, but he was too anxious to get home to accept Dr. Menter’s urgent request to go with him.