ring
along the sandy road, it began to bark furiously, and looked so vicious
that Tom stooped and picked up a big stone.

That was sufficient; the dog yelped aloud, turned, leaped over a hedge,
and ran for its life.

"Awful coward, after all," muttered Tom, throwing down the stone and
returning to the house, where he set to work and helped David for the
rest of the day.

Three times had David charged out after the dog, which kept coming and
howling close at hand, and each time the gardener came back grumbling
about some one having been "chucking that there dog bones."

"Cook says she arn't, sir, and t'other says she arn't; but I put it to
you, sir, would that there dog come a-yowling here if he warn't hungry?"

"Perhaps that's why he has come, David," said Tom.

"No, sir, not athout he expected to get something. I wish him and Pete
Warboys had been jolly well blowed out o' the parish last night, that I
do."

That night at intervals the dog came howling about the place, and kept
Tom awake for a while, but the exertions of the past night and the work
of the day had told so upon him that he fell into a heavy, dreamless
sleep, but only to be awakened just after sunrise by the mournful howl.

CHAPTER FORTY NINE.

"Oh, I can't stand this," said Tom, jumping up, and hurriedly beginning
to dress, after throwing open his window to see the east gradually
turning red, and the clouds far up tinged and necked with orange.

Then there was another low, piteous howling.

"Lie down, you brute!" he shouted out of the window, to be answered by a
quick, yelping bark.

"Perhaps Pete is not about, and the dog really is starving," thought
Tom; and he finished dressing as another howl broke out, more piteous
and mournful than ever.

"Will you be quiet!" he shouted from the window. "Lie down, and I'll
bring you a bone, you ugly, rat-tailed, low-bred dog-ruffian."

He was interrupted by a joyous, yelping bark.

"That dog does want to be friends with me, but I can't have him here,"
thought Tom, who now opened his door as quietly as he could, but it gave
a loud creak, so did one of the boards, as he walked towards the
staircase.

"That you, Tom?" came from his uncle's room.

"Yes, uncle."

"There's a dog making a miserable noise. Try and drive it away."

"Just going to, uncle," said Tom. Then to himself, as he went
down-stairs--"Driving's no good, or old Dave would have got rid of him
yesterday. I shall have to tr