Part 183

+auf dem Posten.+

= and did evidently his best.

here = tricks, +Kunststücke+.

= and did (+sich anstellen+) as if he stood (App. § 33).

= Hereupon.

to feign to be dead, +sich tot stellen+. The Present Participles in this passage must be rendered by the Imperfect in German.

= dropped (+fallen lassen+) the lower jaw.

+mit der Hand über die Augen fahren+.

+Vorstellung+, f.

+stille stehen+.

= and watched (+beobachten+) them quite earnestly (+ernsthaft+).

Section 210.

A FRIEND IN NEED.

II.

The gentleman put in a shilling, and stooped down to read a crumpled piece of paper which hung loosely from the collar. It bore these words, written in a shaky hand: “This is the dog of a poor man who is bed-ridden. It earns bread for its master. Good people, do not prevent it from returning to its home.” On receiving (S. 55, N. 1) any money, the poor creature returned thanks by a wag of its tail. Almost every one of the spectators gave the dog something, and when it had finished collecting the money, it barked once or twice, as if to say good-bye, and then scampered off. On entering the principal street, it quickened its pace, and the gentleman finding it impossible to keep up with it, hailed a cab, and, much to the driver’s amazement, cried: “Follow that dog.” After a time the dog bolted up a narrow alley, through which the cab could not pass. The gentleman alighted, and followed the dog through a dark close up to the garret of a rickety dwelling. Pulling the string attached to the latch, the dog opened the door, and the stranger followed. Its master lay dying on a wretched bed, supported by the earnings of the faithful creature, who practised the same tricks alone as it used to do under its master’s superintendence. Death soon ended the poor man’s sufferings, and the dog followed the coffin to the grave. The gentleman took home the dog, but next morning the poor beast howled impatiently for the basket to go its rounds as usual. It went with the pennies to the cemetery and laid them on a grave, whining mournfully, and trying to scratch up the earth. Twice more it went out all day, and brought back the money for its master; but, on finding the money untouched, it lay down at full length upon the grave. The next morning it did not go its rounds, for it was dead.—CHAMBERS’S “SHORT STORIES.”

in a = with.

here +Lauf+, m.

to keep up with a person, +gleichen Schritt mit einem halten+.

+an´rufen+, sep. comp. str. w. tr.

= to the great amazement of the driver.

+plötzlich in einen Durchgang hinein´laufen.+

+passieren.+

+Passage+, f.; to = into; rickety, +baufällig+.

+im Sterben.+

= and was supported (+unterhalten+ or +versorgen+).

here +aus´üben+.

+einer Sache+ (Dat.) +ein Ende machen+.

+nach+; ‘to go one’s rounds’, here +seine Runde wieder an´treten+.