e, Bunny saw that Mr. Treadwell was
laughing.

"Is he--is he hurting you?" asked the little boy.

"Not a bit," was the answer. "Is Splash holding fast?"

"He's holding tight!" said Sue. "Oh, is he mad at you?"

Before Mr. Treadwell could answer there was a ripping sound, and a piece
of cloth came loose from his coat. The piece of cloth stayed in Splash's
teeth and the children's dog at once began to shake and worry it, as he
might a big rat he had caught. And as Splash shook the piece of cloth he
growled louder than before.

"Oh, has he torn your coat?" asked Mrs. Brown. "I never knew Splash to
act that way before. He is always kind and gentle."

"He's all right now," answered Mr. Treadwell, with a laugh. "This is
only in fun and part of the play."

"Part of the play!" exclaimed Bunny. "Didn't he really tear your coat?"

"No," answered the actor, and, turning around, he showed that his coat
was not ripped a bit. Yet Splash certainly had a piece of cloth in his
jaws.

"It's just a trick I have been teaching Splash during the last few
days," explained Mr. Treadwell. "You see, I'm to take the part of a
tramp in the first act. Now, most dogs don't like tramps, so I thought
I'd have that sort of dog in the farm play.

"Splash will make a good actor dog, I think. First I found a bit of old
cloth that he was used to playing with and shaking as he might shake a
rat. Then I sewed this piece of cloth to my coat, so it would not pull
off too easily. Then I took Splash out to the barn to train him. As soon
as he saw his own private piece of cloth sewed on my coat he chased
after me and wanted to get it. I ran away and we played at that game
until Splash did just what I wanted him to.

"That is, he will run after me, grab hold of the piece of cloth sewed
fast to my coat, and he'll hold on while I drag him about until the
cloth tears loose just as you saw it. Though Splash barks and growls, it
is all done in fun, and he likes the play very much."

"Is he going to do that on the stage?" asked Bunny.

"I hope that's what he'll do," said the actor, as he patted the dog, who
came up to him, having given up, for the time, the teasing of the bit of
cloth. "You see I'm to be a tramp in the first act of the play. I'll
come walking down the road, and then, Bunny, you'll let Splash loose
after me.

"He'll run out from the wings--that is from the side, you know--and
chase me, for I'll be dressed in a ragged suit and on my coat-