Part 11 (2/2)

Purt was too anxious to be offended by these remarks. He walked directly up to the leader of the gang.

”Say!” he exclaimed, breathlessly. ”Do you want a dog?”

”Not if _that's_ what yer call a dawg, Mister,” said the other boy.

”I'd be ashamed to call on me tony friends wit' that mutt. What I needs is a coach-dawg to run under the hind axle of me landau.”

”Say!” breathed Purt, heavily, and paying no attention to the gibes.

”You take this dog and keep it--or tie it up somewhere so he can't follow me--and I'll give you a quarter.”

”When do I git the quarter?” demanded the boy.

”Right now,” declared Purt reaching into his pocket with his free hand.

”Hand it over,” said the other, s.n.a.t.c.hing away the rope.

The dude sighed to think how this strange and unknown cur had already cost him a dollar and a quarter. A dollar and a quarter would have been far too much to pay for a dozen similar mongrels, and well Purt knew it.

But the instant the quarter was transferred to the other boy, the Central High exquisite traveled away from there just as fast as he could walk.

At once a mournful and heart-rending howl broke out. He looked back once; the dog was leaping at the length of his rope, nearly capsizing the holder of the same with every jump, and wailing hungrily for his fast disappearing friend.

Purt set off on a run. He did not know how soon that rope might break!

He reached the dock just after the girls, who had arrived breathless with laughter, and full of the tale of Purt Sweet's new friend.

”Where is he?” was the chorus that welcomed Purt.

”I--I got rid of him,” panted Purt.

”Sure?” laughed Chet, as they began to cast off.

”I--I hope so,” returned the worried Purt. ”I never _did_ see such a cweature--weally.”

”He must have been an old friend of yours, Purt,” said Reddy b.u.t.ts.

”Dogs don't follow folks for nothing.”

”But weally, I never saw him before,” Purt tried to explain.

”Aw, that's all very well,” Billy Long sang out. ”But it's plain enough why he followed you.”

”Why?” asked Reddy, willing to help the joke along.

”It was Purt's shanks in those green socks that attracted the dog. I suppose the poor dog was hungry, and a hungry dog will go far for a bone, you know.”

Purt was hurrying to get his _d.u.c.h.ess_ under way, and he was so glad of getting rid of the dog that he did not mind the boys' chaffing.

Suddenly a wild yell arose from some of the boys on the dock.

<script>