rushed into her mind, "How glad Ben would
be!--and Bab would feel all happy again. I _must_ carry him home."

Never stopping to think of danger, and forgetting all her doubts, Betty
caught the gate handle out of Jimmy's grasp, exclaiming eagerly: "He
_is_ our dog! Let me go in; I aint afraid."

"Not till Jud comes back; he told us we mustn't," answered the
astonished Jimmy, thinking the little girl as mad as the dog.

With a confused idea that the unknown Jud had gone for a gun to shoot
Sanch, Betty gave a desperate pull at the latch and ran into the yard,
bent on saving her friend. That it _was_ a friend there could be no
further question; for, though the creature rushed at her as if about to
devour her at a mouthful, it was only to roll ecstatically at her feet,
lick her hands, and gaze into her face, trying to pant out the welcome
which he could not utter. An older and more prudent person would have
waited to make sure before venturing in; but confiding Betty knew little
of the danger which she might have run; her heart spoke more quickly
than her head, and, not stopping to have the truth _proved_, she took
the brown dog on trust, and found it was indeed dear Sanch.

Sitting on the grass, she hugged him close, careless of tumbled hat,
dusty paws on her clean frock, or a row of strange boys staring from
the wall.

"Darling doggy, where have you been so long?" she cried, the great thing
sprawling across her lap, as if he could not get near enough to his
brave little protector. "Did they make you black and beat you, dear? Oh,
Sanch, where _is_ your tail--your pretty tail?"

A plaintive growl and a pathetic wag was all the answer he could make
to these tender inquiries; for never would the story of his wrongs be
known, and never could the glory of his doggish beauty be restored.
Betty was trying to comfort him with pats and praises, when a new face
appeared at the gate, and Thorny's authoritative voice called out:

"Betty Moss, what on earth are you doing in there with that dirty
beast?"

"It's Sanch, it's Sanch! Oh, come and see!" shrieked Betty, flying up
to lead forth her prize.

But the gate was held fast, for some one said the words, "Mad dog," and
Thorny was very naturally alarmed, because he had already seen one.
"Don't stay there another minute. Get up on that bench and I'll pull
you over," directed Thorny, mounting the wall to rescue his charge in
hot haste; for the dog did certainly behave queerly, l