Part 4 (1/2)

”You did it yourself!” declared a boy who boldly faced the woman, ”and Andy's not goin' to stand fer it, or we all strike; don't we, fellers?”

”Sure, we do!” came a chorus, not only from those who had been waiting, but from a second group that had come up in the meantime.

”Strike, eh?” cried the woman. ”Well, you kin all clear out! Do you hear! Every dirty one of ye! Git off the place or--I'll let the dogs loose!”

”Oh, goodness me!” exclaimed Bess, clutching Cora's sleeve. ”Do come away! There will be--bloodshed!”

”We must wait,” replied Cora calmly. ”I guess she is not so anxious to have her berries rot on the vines, and most of the good pickers seem to be with Andy.”

Belle was nervously walking down the path toward the autos.

The boys stood defiantly, waiting for the woman to produce Andy's tallies.

”Give him his sticks,” called one of them, ”or we'll smash every berry in the patch!”

”You will, eh!” yelled the woman. ”I'll show you!”

”Oh, Cora!” cried Bess, but Cora was too much interested in the boys to heed.

The woman left the shed and ran toward the house.

”She's after the dogs!” shouted one boy.

”Come ahead, fellers!” called another, and at that a dozen or more lads ran wildly through the patch; crus.h.i.+ng the ripe luscious fruit as they went. Nellie, who was still picking berries, jumped up from her work. She saw the savage dogs tear away from their kennels, their chains rattling as the woman snapped them from the collars.

Bess and Belle ran to Cora within the shed.

”Here, Nero! Nero!” suddenly called Nellie. ”Here Tige! Here Tige!”

Wonder of animal instinct! Those two dogs forgot the commands of the woman to ”Sic 'em!” and eagerly they ran to Nellie. To Nellie to be patted, and caressed. To Nellie who fed them! What did they care about the woman who would strike them? Nellie was their friend and now they were hers! The woman, having let loose the dogs, ran on toward the house, some distance from the berry shed.

CHAPTER IV

ARBITRATION

Like a heroine in a drama Nellie stood there, one sunburned hand thrust through the collar of each panting dog.

The boys saw their advantage and ran like Indians through the patch of berries, tramping the ripe fruit under foot in their unreasoning anger.

”Hey! Stop that!” shouted Nellie, ”or I'll let them go!”

Instantly every boy stood still.

”Come on,” called Cora to the other two girls, ”we must help Nellie.”

As quickly as they could trudge along the rough pathway, Cora, Bess and Belle hurried to where Nellie stood with the dogs.

”Call the boys back to the shed,” shouted the girl, ”then I can take the dogs to their kennels.”