said Penrod.

Sam looked at the bottle thoughtfully; then his eye, wandering, fell
upon Duke, placidly curled up near the door, and lighted with the advent
of an idea new to him, but old, old in the world--older than Egypt!

"Let's give Duke some!" he cried.

That was the spark. They acted immediately; and a minute later Duke,
released from custody with a competent potion of the smallpox medicine
inside him, settled conclusively their doubts concerning its effect. The
patient animal, accustomed to expect the worst at all times, walked out
of the door, shaking his head with an air of considerable annoyance,
opening and closing his mouth with singular energy--and so repeatedly
that they began to count the number of times he did it. Sam thought it
was thirty-nine times, but Penrod had counted forty-one before other and
more striking symptoms appeared.

All things come from Mother Earth and must return--Duke restored much
at this time. Afterward, he ate heartily of grass; and then, over his
shoulder, he bent upon his master one inscrutable look and departed
feebly to the front yard.

The two boys had watched the process with warm interest. "I told you she
was strong!" said Mr. Williams proudly.

"Yes, sir--she is!" Penrod was generous enough to admit. "I expect she's
strong enough----" He paused in thought, and added:

"We haven't got a horse any more."

"I bet you she'd fix him if you had!" said Sam. And it may be that this
was no idle boast.

The pharmaceutical game was not resumed; the experiment upon Duke had
made the drug store commonplace and stimulated the appetite for stronger
meat. Lounging in the doorway, the near-vivisectionists sipped licorice
water alternately and conversed.

"I bet some of our smallpox medicine would fix ole P'fessor Bartet all
right!" quoth Penrod. "I wish he'd come along and ask us for some."

"We could tell him it was lickrish water," added Sam, liking the idea.
"The two bottles look almost the same."

"Then we wouldn't have to go to his ole cotillon this afternoon," Penrod
sighed. "There wouldn't be any!"

"Who's your partner, Pen?"

"Who's yours?"

"Who's yours? I just ast you."

"Oh, she's all right!" And Penrod smiled boastfully.

"I bet you wanted to dance with Marjorie!" said his friend.

"Me? I wouldn't dance with that girl if she begged me to! I wouldn't
dance with her to save her from drowning! I wouldn't da----"

"Oh, no--you wouldn't!" interrupted Mr. Will