father.

"Ah," said Prince Jan to his brother, as their mother crossed the yard
toward the kennel, "some day we, too, will go out and do our work. Won't
that be glorious, Rollo?"

In their happiness they raced to their mother, who watched them with
loving, proud eyes. When they reached her side Jan measured himself to
see how much bigger he must grow, for though he was large for his age,
he was only six months old.

"Oh, if I could only grow faster, mother!" he cried.

"Be patient, Jan," she answered, biting his ear gently. "Your time is
coming soon!"

"My time is coming! My time is coming!" Jan leaped and barked in glee.

"Mine, too!" called Rollo. "We'll work together, Jan!"

The big door leading from the enclosure where the dogs romped and played
swung open, and two men who came out, stood looking at the dogs. The
puppies watched eagerly, for these men had charge of the youngsters. All
the dogs knew them, and even if the men had been strangers the Hospice
dogs would have known they were monks who belonged to the Hospice, for
the clothes they wore were different from the clothes of other men who
came to the Hospice for a day or two.

A long, black, close-fitting coat reached almost to the feet of each
monk, a peaked hood hung between his shoulders and a little round,