y had brought them ashore and dropped them at the children's feet,
looking up into their faces as much as to say:

"Do it again! We love to chase sticks!"

And then, just as dogs always do when they come from the water, they
gave themselves big shakes.

"Look out, Sue!" called Bunny.

But he was too late. A shower of drops from Splash went all over Sue's
dress, and some of the drops were not clean water, either.

"Oh dear!" she cried. "Now I'll have to change my dress!"

"Never mind," said Bunny. "You run up to the house and get that done,
and I'll throw the two sticks into the water. Then Splash and Dix will
go in again, and when they come out they'll be cleaner. I won't come
back to the house with them until they are good and clean."

Once more Bunny tossed the sticks, as Sue went up to change her dress.
When her mother saw her she cried:

"Oh dear, Sue! How did that happen?"

Sue told her.

"Well, I hope Bunny gets the dogs clean this time," said Mrs. Brown as
she took Sue upstairs to put another dress on her. This did not take
long, and a little while afterward Bunny came running up from the brook
with the two dogs, dripping wet from their baths.

"Quick, Momsie and Sue!" he called to his mother and sister. "Get in the
auto before the dogs shower you again with water. I've got 'em good and
clean now. I made 'em go in four times after the sticks."

"Did they shake any water on you?" asked Mr. Brown.

"Not much," said Bunny. "Besides, my clothes are dark and the mud on
them won't show. Now don't go away again, Splash, 'cause we're going on
a long auto tour, and you want to come with us."

All were soon in the auto again, and as they started off, with more
"good-byes" and "good lucks," Bunny and Sue made sure that this time
Splash followed.

"Now he's started he won't turn back," said Mr. Brown. "He just missed
us before, thinking, I suppose, if he saw us go, that we would come
back."

The big automobile traveled on for about an hour, and they were several
miles from the Brown home when Bunny, looking out of the rear door of
the auto-van cried:

"Why there's Dix, Fred Ward's dog, following us along with Splash!
Look!"

"So he is," said Mrs. Brown. "Oh, dear! These dogs! What are we going to
do?"

CHAPTER VII

DIX IN TROUBLE

"Is Dix really following us?" asked Mr. Brown, as, once more, he stopped
the big automobile.

"He seems to be," answered Mrs. Brown. "He and Splash are trottin