, he had hobbled so slowly on the road. As he
stepped upon the porch, Tom heard a sudden furious barking inside the
house.

"Welcome to our city!" he muttered. "If nobody's at home but _that_
savage beast, I'm likely to fare about as Roberto did at that farmhouse
'way back on the road by Culm Falls."

But he ventured to rap upon the door. It was one of those old-fashioned
doors which opens in two parts. The upper half swung outward, but the
lower remained bolted.

Lucky for Tom Cameron this was so. A great, shaggy beast, with gleaming
fangs and slobbering jaws, appeared over the ledge, scratching with his
strong claws to get out at the intruder.

"What do you want?" demanded a shrill voice from somewhere behind the
excited brute. "We ain't got nothin' for tramps."

"I should say you most certainly _had_ something for tramps, Madam,"
said Tom, when he could make himself heard. "Any tramp would run from
that fellow."

"I don't see _you_ running. But you better," advised the woman, who was
thin-faced, scant of hair, and had a voice about as pleasant as a
whip-saw going through a knot.

"But _I_ am not a tramp, I assure you, Madam," said Tom, politely.

"Huh! ye look it," declared the woman, without any politeness at all.

And the boy _did_ look rather dilapidated. He had gotten more than a
little wet in the first of the shower, and he had pawed around among the
"internal arrangements" of the balky auto to such purpose, that he was
disheveled and oil-streaked from head to foot.

"I'm in disguise just now, Ma'am," laughed Tom, cheerfully. "But really,
I have not come begging either food or lodging. Is your husband at
home?"

"Yes, he is. And he'll be here in a minute and chase ye off the
place--ef ye don't scat at once," said the woman, sourly. "_He_ wouldn't
hold back this dog, now, I tell ye."

"Please believe me, Madam," urged Tom, "that I am better than I appear.
Our car broke down on the road yonder, and I have come to see if I can
hire a team of horses to drag it into the Corners."

"Car? What kind of a car? Ain't no railroad here," she said,
suspiciously.

The dog had barked himself breathless by now and they could talk a
little easier. Tom smiled, as he replied:

"Our motor car--automobile."

"Huh! why didn't ye say so?" she demanded. "Tryin' to fool me. It's bad
enough ter drive one o' them abominations over people's roads, but
tryin' to make out ye air on a train--though, land o' Goshen! some o