Part 29 (2/2)
There was a shout from across the stream--on the side where Laura stood--and a man leaped into the open. He carried a gun. As he reached the bank of the brook he threw up the shot-gun and erupted the contents of one barrel into the fore-shoulder of the angry dog.
The distance was scarcely two rods. The small shot peppered the dog well, and gave him a whole lot to think of beside grabbing a defenseless boy.
The farmer began to yell vociferously; the dog raised his voice even more loudly and, after falling and rolling over and over on the ground for a moment, he got to his feet and cut into the bushes like a flash.
He was more scared than hurt.
”I'll have you arrested for that!” yelled the dog's owner, shaking both clenched fists at the young man with the gun.
”You'd better thank me that the beast did not grab that boy,” was the reply.
The young man with the gun seemed perfectly calm. He was a pale-faced young man, well dressed in a hunting suit, and with narrow boots on his rather small feet. He was doubtless a city sportsman.
”I bet I know who you be, ye scoundrel!” bawled the farmer.
The young man turned away instantly. Laura saw that he flushed and then paled again. He did not stop to say a word to the party of young folk from Centerport. Instead, he stepped into the thick underbrush and was almost instantly lost to their sight.
Short and Long had hastened to get over the border of the farmer's posted preserve. But he had brought the trout with him--and it weighed a good pound and a half!
CHAPTER XX
LAURA KEEPS HER SECRET
They left the farmer threatening vengeance upon the strange young man who had used his shot-gun to such good purpose.
”That fellow's all right, whoever he is,” Lance declared. ”And how quick he was with his gun!”
”He knows how to use one,” Short and Long agreed, with admiration. ”I wish I could have thanked him.”
”And this dummy here!” added Lance, with a look of disgust at Purt.
”You had that old pistol in your pocket, didn't you?” he demanded of the dude.
”Ye-es,” agreed Purt.
”Then if you had kept still about it, I could have scared that farmer into holding his dog in leash. Just as glad the brute was shot, though. He'll be tamed for a while, I bet!”
”It is too bad the dog was trained so badly,” Laura said. ”It is not his fault that he was taught to attack people.”
”Well!” grunted Short and Long. ”If he'd grabbed me, I reckon he'd have eaten me up before anybody could have helped.”
”You had no business on that man's land,” said Laura, admonis.h.i.+ngly.
”And you _did_ sauce him.”
”Ugh! who'd have thought he was so mean?” growled Short and Long.
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