She grows thin, her magnificent coat becomes matted with mud, and her paws bleed from the rocky terrain.
Joe rushes to her, weeping, and carries her broken body home. 🏡 A New Beginning
Instead of taking her, the Duke offers Sam Carraclough a job as his new kennel master. The family is saved from poverty, they get to keep their home, and most importantly, Joe and Lassie are never separated again.
One afternoon, the school bell rings at four o'clock. Joe walks out into the snow, his head down. Then, he sees her.
Months pass. Back in Yorkshire, the winter chill has set in. Joe has given up hope, believing he will never see his friend again.
She is shot at by fearful shepherds and hunted by dog catchers.
When Joe's father, Sam, loses his job at the mine, the family faces the bitter reality of starvation. With heavy hearts and no other choice, they sell Lassie to the wealthy Duke of Rudling, who has long admired the prize collie. 💔 The Pain of Separation