A story is told about a farmer who was working in a field near his house. His two small sons were playing nearby. The farmer saw a huge dog approaching. He noticed that the dog was foaming at the mouth, and immediately determined that it was rabid. He quickly carried his sons to the fence and helped them over, urging them to run to the house. By this time the dog was upon him. Fortunately, the farmer had a knife which he used to defend himself against the dog’s attack. He was able to kill the beast, but not before he was bitten several times.

This turned out to be a deadly encounter for the farmer also, but on his deathbed he would say over and over to his wife, “It’s all right, dear: I saved the boys. And it was the only way I could.”

Another story is told about a man who went to a cross to save us. And it was the only way he could.