Blood From a Stone (59 page)

H
e
s
m
il
ed
at
t
he
t
hou
g
ht
of
t
he ea
rf
ul he
’
d
g
et
f
or dec
i
d
i
ng
t
o
adopt
t
he
dog
t
o her
i
f
he
d
i
d
ca
ll
. But
he
w
as
no cand
i
da
t
e
f
or
pe
r
m
anent
o
w
ne
r
sh
i
p
f
or
t
he
an
i
m
a
l
.
W
i
l
l
ow
w
as
k
i
nd
hea
rt
ed
and
w
ou
l
d
g
i
v
e
h
i
m a
l
o
v
i
ng
ho
m
e.
T
he
dog
w
as
as
s
w
eet
as
t
hey co
m
e…
or
at
l
east
i
t
had been
a
ft
er
i
t
b
i
t h
i
m
.
A
nd
t
hat
he
s
til
l
cou
l
dn
’
t
exp
l
a
i
n
an
y
m
o
r
e
t
h
a
n
he cou
l
d
fi
g
u
r
e
out
t
he
s
tr
an
g
e
sensa
ti
on
he
’
d
f
e
l
t
as
t
hose
r
a
z
or sha
r
p
t
ee
t
h sunk
i
n
t
o h
i
s
fl
esh and d
r
ew
b
l
ood.

A
nd  of
cou
r
se,  he
cou
l
dn
’
t
he
l
p  but
c
o
n
ti
nue
t
o
w
onder
w
hat
w
ou
l
d
happen
i
f
t
he
dog
d
i
d
r
ea
ll
y
end
up
a b
l
ock
of
s
t
one,
li
k
e
he
w
as,
but
i
t
w
as
t
oo
l
a
t
e
t
o
w
o
rr
y about
t
hat
no
w
.
H
e
w
ou
l
d
ha
v
e
t
o
j
ust
k
eep
a
d
i
s
t
ant
e
y
e
on
t
he an
i
m
al
f
or
t
he
next
f
ew
w
ee
k
s…or
as
l
ong as
he
w
as
ab
l
e
t
o un
ti
l
t
he
next
ti
m
e
he
chan
g
ed,
and
see
i
f
i
t
exh
i
b
it
ed
any s
i
g
ns
or
s
y
m
p
t
o
m
s
of
t
u
r
n
i
ng
i
n
t
o
so
m
e
k
i
nd of
‘
do
g
-
g
o
y
l
e
‘
.
T
hen
he
supposed
he
’
d
ha
v
e
t
o
g
r
ab
i
t
and
haul
i
t
t
o h
i
s pe
r
ch so
i
t
cou
l
d
s
i
t
out
t
he
next
fift
y
y
ea
r
s
at
h
i
s
s
i
de.
T
he
i
dea
of
t
hat
scena
ri
o
ce
rt
a
i
n
l
y
g
a
v
e
t
he
t
e
r
m
‘
m
an
’
s
best
fri
end’
a
w
ho
l
e
new
m
ean
i
n
g
.
H
e
w
a
l
k
ed
a
l
ong
t
o
w
a
r
d
h
i
s des
t
i
na
ti
on
w
a
t
c
h
i
ng
as
a
l
a
r
g
e
tr
uck
w
it
h a sno
w
p
l
ow
passed h
i
m
.

I
t
w
as
not
g
o
i
ng
t
o
be
f
un
d
i
gg
i
ng up
m
o
r
e
m
one
y
, sa
v
i
n
g
s
bonds
and
be
l
on
g
i
n
g
s
i
n
t
h
i
s
m
ess.
I
t
w
as
do
w
n
ri
g
ht
sh
itt
y
,
t
o
be
exac
t
.
B
ut
t
hen
a
g
a
i
n,
w
asn
’
t
t
hat
th
e
w
ho
l
e
po
i
nt of
h
i
s
cu
r
se…h
i
s
lif
e?

H
e
r
ounded
t
he
co
r
ner
and
headed  up
t
he
s
tr
eet
t
o
w
a
r
ds
C
h
i
co
’
s
w
he
r
e
he
’
d
ea
t
en
l
ast
n
i
g
h
t
. Ma
y
be
t
hey
w
e
r
e open
and
he
cou
l
d
g
r
ab
so
m
e
b
r
ea
k
f
ast
be
f
o
r
e con
fro
n
t
i
ng
any o
t
her
t
as
k
s
at
hand.
T
he
i
r
“
O
pen
24
H
ou
r
s”
s
i
g
n
w
as
s
til
l on and
fl
ash
i
n
g
,
desp
it
e
t
he
n
i
g
h
t’
s
f
oul
w
ea
t
he
r
,
so
he
w
as
i
n
l
uc
k
.