“Yes, too late,” said Rover severely. “The little master was so sick that they took him to the seashore yesterday.”
Then Ready was the saddest little dog in the world, and he looked so.
“It’s your own fault,” said Rover. “Why did you run away?”
At this Ready broke down altogether, tail and all, and sobbed out the whole story.
“Come, come,” said Rover at last, “be a dog and keep up your courage. Try wagging your tail a little, that always helps.”
So Ready wagged his tail and it did help a little speck. Then Rover gave him some breakfast and that helped a great deal.
After breakfast was over, Rover gave Ready letters of introduction to several traveling dog friends of his in the hope that they might happen to know Master Dick’s seashore home. But when night came a very tired and discouraged little Ready returned to the lonely house. You see, most of the traveling dogs had already left the city and the others had sent down word, “Too busy,” or “Not at home.”
It was the darkest hour of Ready’s life. Indeed, I do not know what would have happened next if a happy Robin had not been still awake, singing, “Cheer up.” When he saw sad little Ready, as quick as a wink he made this other verse to his evening song:
“Chance, chance, chance,
Everybody has a chance;