Part 10 (2/2)

”Oh! now I understand you, my lad, and I guess it's a good thing. That gent was a fine one, and he said I had the best---but never mind what he said. How far have you come this time, boys?”

”This is over half the distance,” explained Fred, ”and we're on the home stretch right now. But we're not trying for a record to-day. Fact is, we're just feeling out the ground. The next time we come we'll stop only a minute, as if we were registering, and be off, for that's when we'll be trying it out to see what our time is.”

”Oh! excuse me,” said Bristles, as he saw the old farmer once more turn toward his rig, as though he felt he must be going on, ”but didn't I hear you telling someone in the market the other day that you'd lost a number of sheep lately?”

The old man frowned, and shook his head sadly.

”Three of my best, and I reckons that if things keep on the way they're goin', I won't have any flock left purty soon, boy,” he replied.

”And you said the damage had all been done by a pack of wild dogs, didn't you?” continued Bristles.

”Anybody with one eye could see that, by the way the sheep was mangled, and the pad of the prints around. They're gettin' to be a terror up here. Jenks kin tell you how he's heard the lot carrying on like Cain over in the woods there nights.”

”Did you ever see the pack, mister?” asked Bristles.

”Well, I can't say as I really and truly has, son, but I do believe I knows what the wust of the lot looks like,” the farmer told him.

”How was that, sir?” asked the boy, eagerly. He saw the old man shrug his broad shoulders, while a whimsical look appeared on his sunburned face.

”Jest because I set on a limb, and looked down at the critter three whole hours, till he got so pizen hungry he slunk off, and let me get home. He come nigh ketchin' me afore I cud git up in a tree; and from the looks of them ugly fangs, chances are he'd a-tore me right bad.”

”Then I should think you'd know that dog again if ever you saw him?”

suggested Bristles, with a wink toward his chums.

”I hopes I'll never have the bad luck to see him alive again!” declared the old farmer, as he started to climb up to the seat of his wagon.

”Now watch the circus!” hissed Bristles.

The farmer had just about drawn himself up when they heard him give utterance to a startled exclamation, for he found himself facing the uninvited pa.s.senger in the back of his open wagon bed. Had Bristles been more inclined to be cruel, he might have fixed the dog so that he would appear lifelike, and in the att.i.tude of springing.

The farmer remained there as though turned into stone. Then he managed to recover his wits, and burst out into a shout.

”It's the same pizen critter!” he exclaimed joyously, ”and keeled over at last! But I'd like to know---say, you don't meant to tell me now, boys, 'twas you that done for that turrible beast?”

”Well,” said Bristles, trying hard not to look too important, ”they tackled us in the woods, and it was either us or him, so we managed to pound the leader until he kicked the bucket, and the rest of the pack lit out. I guess that combine's broken up for good, mister. You won't lose any more of your sheep, believe me.”

The old man got down, and insisted upon shaking hands all around, he felt so delighted over the new turn affairs had taken.

”And the next time I go to Riverport, I'll tell what a fine thing you boys did up here,” he remarked, as the three runners prepared to start down the road, heading for the home town.

On the way it was finally decided that they would go to the office of the Chief of Police and tell him about finding the empty tin box, but not say a thing in connection with that pin. Afterwards, Fred said, they might see Mr. Periwinkle, So as to learn whether the tin box was really his property.

They felt uncertain as to just what their duty might be in a case like this, for while it seemed only right that the guilty one should suffer, at the same time both Fred and Bristles remembered what sorrowful faces that brother and sister had, and they could not find it in their hearts to do anything likely to add to the burdens the children already had to bear.

So the case rested as the days pa.s.sed. Though unknown to the boys, a time was coming, and near at hand, when the mystery of the tin box was bound to be explained.

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