ought he had done the
whole trick. He threw out his chest as if he were the biggest thing in
the woods, and began telling about what the Coon family had done in
days past, till I got provoked and said right sharply:

"'Any one to hear you talk would think you dare do almost anything.'

"'I'd like to know what you can scare up that I don't dare do,' he
cried, swinging his tail till the dry leaves flew around his head like
Mrs. Man's bonnet.

"'Nobody could hire you to walk around Mr. Man's barn three times,' I
said, and the words hadn't much more than left my mouth before I was
sorry that I spoke, for I surely didn't want Bobby to come to any
harm, and after the trick he had played on Mr. Man it would be all his
life was worth to go near the farm buildings, because even if it could
be done without his being seen by some of the people there Mr. Towser
would be certain to smell him out.

"'I'd go round the miserable old house a dozen times and never turn a
hair!' he cried, trying to speak mighty brave, but I could see that
he wasn't hankering for any such job, so I said soothing-like:

"'I was only fooling with you, Bobby. Both you and I know there isn't
a member of the club who'd dare to do such a trick as that, especially
just now, when Mr. Towser is feeling mighty sore over his meeting with
the Senator.'

"I truly believe that Bobby thought I was scared nearly out of my wits
by the idea of such a thing and that made him bristle up worse than
ever, so I'd think he was terribly brave.

"'I dare go all over this farm this very night!' he cried as bold as a
lion. 'And if Mr. Towser tries to be funny with me, he'll wish he
never had been born, for I won't stand any nonsense from that dog, and
I wouldn't if he were as big as seven of the elephants Mr. Crow tells
about.'

"'Now you're talking through your hat,' I said, and to tell the truth
I was trembling all over at the thought of going where Mr. Towser
could get the best of me without more than half trying.

"'You shall see whether I am or not!' he cried, washing his face and
smoothing his fur as if getting ready to go to a coon party. 'I'll
ramble all over the place as soon as it is dark, and if you've got
the spunk of a flea you'll come to see me fool Mr. Man's folks.'

"I was so frightened at the idea of his being so foolhardy that I'd
have gone right down on my knees to beg that he stop his nonsense, but
just then who should come up but his cousin, Jimmy Hed