y of disposition that nobody thought of including him in the
general fear of the canine dwellers in Milton.

Tom Jonah was old, and had few teeth left. He was troubled now and then
with rheumatism, too; and he seldom left the Corner House yard save to
accompany the girls on some expedition. He went with them often in the
automobile, especially when they went picnicking on Saturdays. He and
Scalawag were very good friends, and sometimes he accompanied the little
folks in their afternoon rides around the Parade Ground.

But as soon as the mad-dog scare started the girls were all very careful
about letting Tom Jonah go off the premises. He was too old and
dignified a dog to run out to bark at passing teams, or to follow
strange dogs to make their acquaintance. Therefore the Kenways and Neale
O'Neil thought it was not necessary for poor old Tom Jonah to wear an
ugly and irritating muzzle all the time. The old fellow hated the thing
so!

"I don't blame poor Tom Jonah for not liking to wear that old thing,"
Dot said thoughtfully. "It's worse than the bit in Scalawag's mouth. And
see how Billy Bumps hates to be harnessed up. Supposin'," added the
smallest Corner House girl, "_we_ had to put on a harness and have our
mouths tied up when we started for school. Oh! wouldn't it be dreadful?"

"I guess it would, Dot Kenway," Tess agreed vigorously. "I guess it
isn't so much fun being a dog or a horse or even a goat."

"Huh!" growled Sammy who had become pretty well tired of school by this
time; "anyway, they don't have to study," and he looked as though he
would willingly change places with almost any of the pets about the old
Corner House.

Neale always walked to school with the little folks now, for Ruth was
fearful that there might be other dogs loose afflicted with the terrible
disease. A panic among little children is so easily started. She could
trust Neale to have a watchful care over Dot and Tess.

Nothing so bad as that happened; but there did come a day when tragedy
because of the mad-dog scare stalked near to the Corner House.

The dog-catchers were going about town netting all the stray dogs they
could find. Foolish people who would not obey the law deserved to lose
their pets. And if they wished to, if the dogs were pronounced perfectly
healthy at the pound, the owners could appear and claim their pets by
paying two dollars.

This last fact, however, was something the little Corner House girls and
Sammy Pinkn