as Tom Jonah at the screened door of the van.

"That's him," she said. "He never did anybody any harm. These men just
_stole_ him."

That was pretty strong language for Tess Kenway to use; but she was
greatly overwrought.

"You mean they took him out of your yard?"

"They took him off'n the street," said Sammy. "But he'd only jumped the
fence because he saw us comin' home from school."

"He isn't muzzled," said the man.

"He--he don't bite," wailed Dot. "He--he ain't got any teeth to bite!"

He was an old dog as the superintendent could see. Besides, he knew that
his men were more eager to secure the fines than they were to be kind
or fair to the owners of dogs.

"How about this, Harry?" he asked the driver of the van.

"The dog's ugly as sin," growled the man. "Ain't he, Bill?"

"Tried to chew me up," declared the man with the net.

"Say!" blurted out Sammy, "wouldn't _you_ try to chew a feller up if he
caught you in a fish-net and dragged you to a wagon like that? Huh!"

Harry burst out laughing. The superintendent said, quietly:

"Let the big dog out."

"Not me, Boss," said Bill, backing away. "That dog's got it in for me."

"Let me!" exclaimed Tess. "Tom Jonah would not bite any of us--not even
if he had hydrophobia. No, sir!"

"Of course he wouldn't!" acclaimed Dot. "But he couldn't have
hydro--hydro-- Well, whatever that is."

"Keep those other dogs back, Bill, and let the little girl have her Tom
Jonah," said the superintendent. "I guess there's been a mistake. These
are the Corner House girls, and that is their old dog. I remember him.
He wouldn't harm a fly."

"No. But he'd chaw the leg off'n me, Boss," said Bill, who did not like
dogs and therefore was afraid of them. "Besides, all's fish that comes
into _my_ net, you know."

"Go away," commanded the other man, taking the long pole himself. "I
will let him out."

"Oh, Tom Jonah!" cried Tess, running to the door of the van. "Be good
now. The man is going to let you out and we will take you home."

The old dog stopped whining but he did not, as Sammy whispered to Dot,
look any too pleasant. When the superintendent opened the door, after
crowding back the smaller dogs that filled the van, Tess called to Tom
Jonah to come out. He leaped down. The next instant he whirled and would
have charged the two men who had caused him such discomfort and
disgrace, his jaws emitting terrific growls.

"Stop, Tom Jonah!" from Tess and Dot, and "Cut it