uch surprised by the question to reply, and Dan
continued earnestly:

"This goose is Crippy, an' I've had him ever since he was a baby, an'
got his leg broke. We come in here to find uncle Robert so's he could
tell mother not to kill poor Crip, an' now we can't find him,
an'--an'--well, we're jest two as lonesome fellers as you ever saw, an'
if you knew jest how we did feel you wouldn't stand there pokin' fun at
us."

For a moment none of Dan's tormentors spoke, and then the tallest one
said sympathetically, as he seated himself by the country boy's side to
show that he took both the boy and the goose under his protecting arm:

"They sha'n't plague you any more, an' ef I'd 'a' known how you was
feelin' I wouldn't 'a' said a word. Now tell us all about it."

Dan was in that frame of mind where he needed sympathy, and he told the
whole story, while the entire party stood around, interrupting him now
and then by exclamations of surprise that his parents should have been
so cruel as to even think of killing that faithful Crippy.

This consolation, even though it did Dan no material good, was very
sweet to him, and he would have continued to sing the praise of his pet,
had not one of the boys proposed that an effort be made to find uncle
Robert's house. Then each one had a different plan to propose, none of
them thinking that at that hour--four o'clock in the afternoon--it might
be an act of charity first to give Dan and Crippy something to eat.

It surely seemed as if this discussion as to how the search should be
begun would continue until it would be too late to do anything, and
while each one was stoutly maintaining that his plan was the best, an
old-fashioned sleigh drawn by a clumsy-looking horse, stopped directly
opposite where the boys were holding their conference.

"Why, father!" cried Dan as he saw the occupant of the sleigh, and at
the same time he hugged Crippy close to him as if he believed his father
had come for the goose.

"Well, Dan, you did find your uncle Robert after all, didn't you?" asked
Mr. Hardy as he alighted, covered old Dobbin carefully with the robe,
and then went to where Dan was sitting, already deserted by his new-made
friends, who feared Mr. Hardy was about to inflict some signal
punishment.

"No sir, I didn't find him," faltered Dan, wondering what his father
would do to him and Crippy.

"Why, haven't you been in yet?"

"In where?" asked Dan in surprise.

"In here, of course;