Part 11 (1/2)

”Catch him, Rob!” she screamed. ”Catch him!”

With a rush, Rob hurled himself full at the breast of the man, and the tall fellow went over backward, just like a ten-pin.

Then he was up and out into the road, Rob after him!

You ought to have seen the gravel fly!

Harry and Kate ran out into the road and cheered and shouted. Away went the man, and away went the dog.

Up the road, into the brush, out again, and then into a field, down a hill, nip and tuck! At Tom Riley's fence, Rob got him by the leg, but the trowsers were old and the piece came out: and then the man dashed into Riley's old tobacco barn, and slammed the door almost on the dog's nose.

Rob ran around the house to see if there was an open window, and finding none, he went back to the door and lay down to wait.

Harry and Kate ran home as fast as they could, and after a while Rob came too. He had waited a reasonable time at the door of the barn, but the man had not come out.

CHAPTER XII.

TONY ON THE WAR-PATH.

”She did it all,” said Harry, when they had told the tale to half the village, on the store-porch.

”I!” exclaimed Kate. ”Rob, you mean.”

”That's a good dog,” said Mr. Darby, the storekeeper; ”what'll you take for him?”

”Not for sale,” said Harry.

”Rob's all very well,” remarked Tony Kirk; ”but it won't do to have a feller like that in the woods, a fright'nin' the children. I'd like to know who he is.”

Just at this moment Uncle Braddock made his appearance, hurrying along much faster than he usually walked, with his eyes and teeth glistening in the suns.h.i.+ne.

”I seed him!” he cried, as soon as he came up.

”Who'd you see?” cried several persons.

”Oh! I seed de dog after him, and I come along as fas' as I could, but couldn't come very fas'. De ole wrapper cotch de wind.”

”Who was it?” asked Tony.

”I seed him a-runnin'. Bress my soul! de dog like to got him!”

”But who was he, Uncle Braddock?” said Mr. Loudon, who had just reached the store from his house, where Kate, who had run home, had told the story. ”Do you know him?”

”Know him? Reckon I does?” said Uncle Braddock, ”an' de dog ud a knowed him too, ef he'd a cotched him! Dat's so, Mah'sr John.”

”Well, tell us his name, if you know him,” said Mr. Darby.

”Ob course, I knows him,” said Uncle Braddock. ”I'se done knowed him fur twenty or fifty years. He's George Mason.”