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Brand, Max, 1892-1944

"The Seventh Man"

He merely snarled at Kate, and even Joan's tugging at
his ears could not budge him. He stood canting his head and watching them
wistfully while Kate changed Joan's clothes.
She dressed her as if for a festival, with a blue bonnet that let the
yellow hair curl out from the edges, and a little blue cloak, and shiny
boots incredibly small, and around the bonnet she laid a wreath of yellow
wild flowers. Then she wrote her letter, closed it in an envelope, and
fastened it securely in the pocket of the cloak.
She drew Joan in front of her and held her by both hands.
"Joan, darling," she said, "munner wants you to go with Bart up through the
mountains. Will you be afraid?"
A very decided shake of the head answered her, for Joan's eyes were already
over her shoulder looking towards the big dog. And she was a little sullen
at these unnecessary words.
"It might grow dark," she said. "You wouldn't care?"
Here Joan became a little dubious, but a whine from Bart seemed to reassure
her.
"Bart will keep Joan," she said.
"He will. And he'll take you up through the rocks to Daddy Dan.


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