"Why, I have heard that voice before," thought Rover.
Then he ran nearer and saw that the man was Uncle James and the lady beside him was Aunt Polly.
Rover stopped barking and growling and wagged his tail very hard and looked pleased, for he liked them.
Uncle James got out of the carriage and went to the front door.
He rang the bell and waited a few moments, but nobody came. He rang it again, but nobody came.
"I thought somebody always stayed at home with Baby Betty," said Uncle James.
"Perhaps some one is in the garden or out in the orchard," said Aunt Polly.
Uncle James hitched the horse, and then they looked in the garden and in the orchard, but could find nobody.
"Where are all the folks?" asked Aunt Polly of Rover.
"Find Bobby and Baby Betty," said Uncle James.
Rover pricked up his ears and opened his eyes very wide. He looked from Uncle James to Aunt Polly.
"Go find Baby Betty," said Aunt Polly.
Then Uncle James and Aunt Polly went to the front porch and sat in the big rockers.
Rover started down the road toward the church. He trotted along quite fast past the two farm houses, under the Big Trees, past two more farm houses, down the little hill and through the village to the big stone church on the brow of the big hill.
The front door was open, so he went through the vestibule into the big room where the minister was preaching.
"Bow-wow, bow-wow," barked Rover.
Farmer Hill looked around quickly, for he knew Rover's voice.
When Rover saw Farmer Hill's face, he ran up the middle aisle to the pew where the Hill family sat.
When they heard a dog bark in church, some of the boys snickered and some of the girls laughed and some of the older people smiled, but Farmer Hill put his hand on Rover's head and said very softly, "Lie down, Rover."
So he lay down in the aisle with his head resting on his front paws and kept very still all through the service.
When meeting was over, the minister came to Rover and patted him and said, "You behaved nicely in church, Rover."
As they were driving home, John said, "I wonder why Rover came to church."
"Perhaps he was lonesome at home alone," said mother.
"Perhaps something is the matter there," said father.
As they came into the yard, Sue was the first to see the visitors.
"Why, there are Uncle James and Aunt Polly," she exclaimed.
"Didn't Rover tell you that we were here?" asked Uncle James.
"So that is why he came to church, is it?" said mother.
"Rover is an intelligent dog," said father.
Rover looked from one to another and lay down on the porch where they were all visiting together.
[Illustration: PRINCE HELPS MAKE ICE CREAM]
IX
It was the middle of winter and Cloverfield Farm was deep under snow.
The ponds were all frozen over and even the little brook had stopped babbling and was frozen into silvery ice.
Bobby liked the winter, because he could coast on the Little Hill and take rides in the big bob-sleigh.
There was no work to be done on the farm in winter; so Prince and Daisy stood all day in their stalls in the Old Red Barn.
"How would you like a long sleigh ride to-day, Bobby?" asked father one morning.
"I'm ready for one; that would be great fun. Where are you going?"
answered Bobby.
"Well, harvest time has come," said father. "So Prince and Daisy and I are going to help harvest butter and ice cream."
"This is not harvest time," said Bobby; "harvest time is in the summer when it is very hot. And besides, Prince and Daisy cannot make butter and ice cream. Mother makes the butter, and John freezes the ice cream."
"Do you remember, Bobby, how they helped make bread?" asked father.
"Yes," said Bobby.
"If you will come with me, I will show you how they _do truly_ help to make butter and ice cream too," said father.
"Shall I have to go far, father?"
"Yes, it is quite a long drive. Ask mother to bundle you up warm," said father.
Before long, father was at the door with the big bob-sleigh drawn by Prince and Daisy. He tucked Bobby in warm and snug with the buffalo robe, and then away they went. The bells on the horses jingled merrily as they went skimming along over the snow.
"Are we going to the city?" asked Bobby.
"No, Bobby, not this time. We are going to the river," said father.