ked and whined at him, asking, in dog language, I suppose, if Dix did
not want to come and have a game of "water tag."

But Dix evidently wished to stay in the boat, and finally they let him
remain, as he was a quiet dog, not given to jumping about. He curled up
in front behind Sue and went to sleep.

Uncle Tad rowed about the lake. Bunny wished he had brought his fishing
pole and line along, as they saw fish jumping in several places.

"Never mind, we're going to be here nearly a week yet," said Uncle Tad.
"We can come again."

Just how it happened Sue herself could not explain. But, somehow or
other, her Teddy bear slipped from her lap and was about to fall out of
the boat. That would never do, the little girl decided, and of course
she made a quick motion to catch her toy.

And, just then, Bunny leaned on the same side of the boat to pick up a
floating stick so that the boat tipped.

"Look out!" cried Uncle Tad. "Sit still, children!"

But he spoke too late, for, in an instant, Sue fell out of the boat and
into the lake. Uncle Tad was so surprised for a moment that he sat
still. But not so Dix. He had awakened in a second, and with a loud bark
sprang overboard to the rescue of the little girl.

CHAPTER XXI

THE CIRCUS

"Oh my!" cried Bunny Brown, as he saw his sister topple out of the boat
into the lake. "Oh, dear!"

By this time Uncle Tad, the old soldier, was ready for action. He took
off his coat, without standing up in the boat, for well he knew how
dangerous that was, and he was just ready to slip overboard into the
water, the bottom of which he could see, when Dix, who had thrust his
head under the surface, came up with Sue held in his strong jaws, his
teeth fastened in her dress near the neck.

"Oh, Dix! Dix!" cried Bunny, in delight. "I'm so glad you saved my
sister. Oh, Dix! I'll love you all my life!"

Dix, holding Sue with her head well above the water, was swimming toward
the boat. Bunny, eager to do what he could to help his sister, was
leaning over the side, ready to reach her as soon as the dog came near
enough. Then Uncle Tad cried:

"Sit still, Bunny! I'll take Sue in. But I must do it at the stern of
the boat, and not over the side, as that might tip us over. You sit
still in the middle of the boat."

Bunny, who had lived near the seashore all his life knew that "stern"
meant the back of the boat. And he remembered that his father had often
told him if ever he fell out of