his
cronies."

But there was no chance to do this. Simon gave one look at Dick and Grit
as they walked back to the hotel. Then, trying to pull his coat down so
as to conceal the big hole in his trousers, he hurried away up the road,
after the man and youth, who had continued their interrupted escape as
soon as they were assured that Grit had left each two legs on which to
run.

"Well, Grit, old boy," went on Dick, as he entered the hotel. "I got you
back without putting any two hundred dollars under a stone at Butternut
Creek, didn't I? But I guess Henry is entitled to his hundred of the
reward. Now to make some inquiries."

The landlord soon told all he knew of the case. Late the previous night,
he said, the ragged youth and his companion had arrived at the hotel,
bringing the dog in the wagon. They said they had purchased it and were
taking it to a man in the country. They paid for the keep of themselves
and their horse and remained all night.

"This morning the well-dressed young fellow came along," went on the
landlord.

"That was Simon," murmured Dick.

"He registered as Thomas Henderson," said the hotel keeper. "I didn't
much like his looks, but I'm here to hire rooms and furnish meals to
travelers, not to criticise 'em. I was a leetle s'prised that he seemed
to know them other two, but I thought that was his business. He seemed
to know the dog, too, but the beast didn't take much of a notion to him.
They stayed here all day, and one of my hostlers says the dog tried to
break loose several times. They kept him chained in the stable, and they
licked him more than once, I guess. They said he was savage and had to
be beat to make him mind."

"Poor Grit," murmured Dick, and the dog barked joyfully at being again
with his master.

"Wa'al," resumed the hotel man, "Simon, as you call him, an' the other
two, they had several talks together. I heard 'em say suthin' about
expectin' someone with money."

"That was me," interposed Dick, with a smile.

"Only I determined to get my dog, if I could, without paying them
anything."

"And you did it," said the landlord, with a laugh.

"I did," replied Dick. "But I never suspected Simon would try such a
desperate game as this. He must have found the leash the night of the
party," he went on, after telling the landlord what had happened. "Then
he got in with these fellows and had them steal Grit. The letter they
mailed gave me a clue, and Henry told me enough more to