Part 10 (1/2)

But just then Purt felt something at his heels and turned swiftly. One of the homeliest mongrel curs ever seen was sniffing at Purt's green stockings.

”Get out, you brute!” gasped the dude, rather frightened.

But the dog didn't seem to have any designs upon Purt's thin shanks.

Instead, he jumped about, foolishly stiff-legged as a dog will when he thinks he has found a friend, and barked.

”Gee! he's glad to see you,” said Bobby. ”Where'd you find him, Purt?”

”Weally!” declared the dude, trying to shoo the dog off. ”I--I never did see the horrid brute before--I never did.”

”Don't call him names. You'll hurt his feelings,” suggested one of the Lockwood twins, while Laura said, seriously: ”That dog certainly does know you, Mr. Sweet.”

”I declare, I never saw him before,” said Purt, making frantic efforts to frighten the dog away.

He was a snarly haired dog, with one ear c.o.c.ked up and the other half chewed off, his coat muddied, only half a tail, which he wiggled ecstatically, and the most foolish looking face that was ever given to a dog.

”Did you ever see such a looking thing?” gasped Bobby, half choked with laughter.

”And how well he matches Purt's suit,” said Nellie, demurely.

”I'm not going to walk with you if you don't get rid of that dog!”

declared Lily, seeing that many bystanders were laughing at the boy and the mongrel.

She went ahead with the other girls while poor Purt remained in the rear, trying his best to chase away the friendly animal. But the more Purt shooed him, or attempted to hit him, or strove otherwise to send the brute about his business, the more the latter considered that the boy was playing with him, and he welcomed the game with loud and cheerful barks.

Soon a small crowd was collected, watching the performance with broad grins. The girls, giggling, but rather worried by the attention that was being attracted to their escort, darted into a store and left Purt to settle the matter by himself.

CHAPTER VII

THE BARNACLE

The crowd was laughing loudly and Purt Sweet (although he was frequently the source of mirth for his companions) did not enjoy it.

He began to hate that mongrel cur with an intense hatred.

”Get away from me, you brute!” he exclaimed, trying to kick the dog.

”Look out there, son,” drawled one on-looker. ”If you abuse your dog the S. P. C. A. will do something to you that you won't like.”

”It isn't my dog! I weally never saw it before,” gasped the dude, growing very warm and red as the dog leaped about him in delight.

”You'll have to tell that to the judge,” the man a.s.sured him.

This really scared Purt. He did not want to be arrested for abusing the strange dog. But he could not allow it to follow him, that was sure. The girls were already disgusted with him for having attracted the brute.

”And I never meant to!” thought the boy, in despair. ”Oh! if I only had him out in the woods, and had a good rock!”

But he dared not pelt the mongrel after what the bystander had said.

The crowd became so numerous that a policeman came strolling that way.