there's no getting around that."

"I should say he did!" added Bandy-legs; "and when Bessie comes to think
of how you risked your precious life, just because you _thought_ she was
in danger, why, I don't see how she can help but feel sorry for being so
sharp with her tongue. But then all girls think of is candy-pulls,
dancin' and such things as dress. Nope, it don't pay for a feller to
play the hero any more. You wouldn't ketch me adoin' it, for a fact."

Toby started to say something that may have had to do with his opinion
concerning the impossibility of any one built like Bandy-legs being
agile enough to run alongside a racing horse; but he made such a mess of
it, or else on second thought felt it would be mean to say it, for he
stopped short, gulped several times, and relapsed into silence.

Sometimes that affliction of Toby's saved him from getting into trouble
and controversies, which proved that it was after all not an unmixed
evil.

After that they went on toward home, chattering like a lot of magpies
about the glorious times they expected having in the following week,
should the weather permit of their going off to the woods, on their
first outing of the season.

Before separating they divided the spoils of the frog hunt. After due
consideration Bandy-legs concluded that it would be best for him not to
bother his folks with any of the proceeds of the expedition to the big
pond.

"I'll drop over to your house to-morrow, Toby," he said, as he handed
the other his share of the trophies in the shape of five saddles, "and
p'raps you'd be kind enough to save me a couple of these, no matter if
they are cold. I don't dare upset our cook. She's the boss of the
kitchen in our house, and if you rub her the right way you c'n get
whatever you want; but she does everlastingly hate the looks of frogs'
legs, and vowed the last time I fetched some home she'd leave before she
cooked 'em again. Besides, mebbe next week we'll run across our fill of
the same when we're campin' out, and then I can have all I want."

Toby readily agreed to this, for he was a most accommodating fellow. He
even made Bandy-legs promise to eat dinner with him when the wonderful
dish of frogs' legs would be served.

"I'll have the s-s-same, even if I have to c-c-cook 'em m-m-myself!"
Toby promised, in parting.

"If you look over there," remarked Max, casually, "you'll notice that
bank of dark clouds has climbed up a little now. Seems like it mi