ost patience and
turned the tables in the most unexpected manner. All at once she wheeled
short round, and charged full at her old friend Toby, whose conduct cut
her to the heart. Poor slow Toby backed so precipitately that he tripped
over a stone, and down went horse, matadore, and all, in one ignominious
heap, while distracted Buttercup took a surprising leap over the wall,
and galloped wildly out of sight down the road.

"Catch her, stop her, head her off! run, boys, run!" shouted Dan,
tearing after her at his best pace, for she was Mr. Bhaer's pet
Alderney, and if anything happened to her, Dan feared it would be all
over with him. Such a running and racing and bawling and puffing as
there was before she was caught! The fish-poles were left behind; Toby
was trotted nearly off his legs in the chase; and every boy was red,
breathless, and scared. They found poor Buttercup at last in a flower
garden, where she had taken refuge, worn out with the long run.
Borrowing a rope for a halter, Dan led her home, followed by a party
of very sober young gentlemen, for the cow was in a sad state, having
strained her shoulder jumping, so that she limped, her eyes looked wild,
and her glossy coat was wet and muddy.

"You'll catch it this time, Dan," said Tommy, as he led the wheezing
donkey beside the maltreated cow.

"So will you, for you helped."

"We all did, but Demi," added Jack.

"He put it into our heads," said Ned.

"I told you not to do it," cried Demi, who was most broken-hearted at
poor Buttercup's state.

"Old Bhaer will send me off, I guess. Don't care if he does," muttered
Dan, looking worried in spite of his words.

"We'll ask him not to, all of us," said Demi, and the others assented
with the exception of Stuffy, who cherished the hope that all the
punishment might fall on one guilty head. Dan only said, "Don't bother
about me;" but he never forgot it, even though he led the lads astray
again, as soon as the temptation came.

When Mr. Bhaer saw the animal, and heard the story, he said very little,
evidently fearing that he should say too much in the first moments of
impatience. Buttercup was made comfortable in her stall, and the boys
sent to their rooms till supper-time. This brief respite gave them time
to think the matter over, to wonder what the penalty would be, and to
try to imagine where Dan would be sent. He whistled briskly in his room,
so that no one should think he cared a bit; but while he waite