run along the sunny road will soon dry him."

"But don't let him splash your clean clothes, children," called their
mother after them, as the two ran off together to find the missing dog.

"I hear them barking!" called Bunny, as he and his sister hurried toward
the end of the yard.

"So do I." Then, a moment later, the little girl added: "There they
are!" and she pointed to the two dogs playing on the green lawn not far
from a little brook that ran through Mr. Brown's grounds.

"Here, Splash! Splash!" called Bunny.

The dogs stopped their playing, and looked toward the children. As soon
as Splash saw his little master and mistress he came rushing toward them
as fast as he could.

"Don't let him jump on me and get my dress muddy!" cried Sue. "He's been
in the mud just awful!"

"So he has," said Bunny Brown. "Down, Splash! Down!" he called, as the
dog neared Sue. Splash made all the signs he knew to show how glad he
was to see Bunny and Sue, but he did not get up on his hind legs and put
his paws on Sue's shoulders, as he sometimes did.

"Oh, Splash, you're awful dirty!" cried Sue. "You must run in the brook,
where the water is clean, and where there are white pebbly stones
instead of mud on the bottom, to wash yourself. You've got to go in too,
Dix."

Dix barked "bow-wow," to show he did not mind, I suppose.

"Go on in, Splash!" cried Bunny, snapping his fingers and pointing at
the brook. "Go in and wash!"

But though the Browns' dog was usually ready for a frolic in the water
he did not seem to be so just now. He ran back and forth, down to the
edge of the stream and back again, getting his paws wet, but nothing
else.

"Oh, you must go in and have your bath if you are to come with us!"
cried Sue. "Go on in, Splash!"

But not even for Sue would Splash go in, until finally Bunny cried:

"Oh, I know a way to make him!"

"How?" asked Sue.

"Just throw a stick into the water, and he'll go after it and bring it
back. We'll throw it far out."

"Oh, that's right!" cried Sue. "We'll do that."

No sooner had the children picked up sticks than the two dogs, who had
started to play "tag" themselves, knew what was up. They both loved to
go into the water after sticks.

"Throw 'em far out now!" cried Bunny. He tossed his to the middle of the
brook, and Sue flung hers nearly as far, for she was a good
thrower--almost as good as Bunny.

Dix swam after Sue's stick, and Splash went for Bunny's. In a minute
the