Thecaptives looked at each other dumbly for a full minute, one with wet,wide-open, hurt eyes, the other with consternation. Gradually the soberlight in their eyes faded away and feeble smiles developed into peals oflaughter. The irony of the situation bore down upon them irresistiblyand their genuine, healthy young minds saw the picture in all of itsludicrous colorings. Not even the prospect of a night in mid-air couldconquer the wild desire to laugh.
"Isn't it too funny for words?" she laughed bravely through her tears.
Then, for some reason, both relapsed into dark, silent contemplation ofthe dog who was so calmly enjoying his evening repast.
"I am sorry to admit it, Mr. Crosby, but I am growing frightfullyhungry," she said wistfully.
"It has just occurred to me that I haven't eaten a bite since seveno'clock this morning," he said.
"You poor man! I wish I could cook something for you."
"You might learn."
"You know what I mean," she explained, reddening a bit. "You must benearly famished."
"I prefer to think of something more interesting," he said coolly.
"It is horrid!" she sobbed. "See, it is getting dark. Night is coming.Mr. Crosby, what is to become of us?" He was very much distressed by hertears and a desperate resolve took root in his breast. She was so tiredand dispirited that she seemed glad when he drew her close to him andpressed her head upon his shoulder. He heard the long sigh of relief andrelaxation and she peered curiously over her wet lace handkerchief whenhe muttered tenderly:
"Poor little chap!"
Then she sighed again quite securely, and there was a long silence,broken regularly and rhythmically by the faint little catches that oncewere tearful sobs.
"Oh, dear me! It is quite dark," she cried suddenly, and he felt ashudder run through her body.
"Where could you go to-night, Mrs. Delancy, if we were to succeed ingetting away from here?" he asked abruptly. She felt his figurestraighten and his arm grow tense as if a sudden determination hadcharged through it.
"Why--why, I hadn't thought about that," she confessed, confronted by anew proposition.
"There's a late night train for Chicago," he volunteered.
"But how are we to catch it?"
"If you are willing to walk to town I think you can catch it," he said,a strange ring in his voice.
"What do you mean?" she demanded, looking up at his face quickly.
"Can you walk the two miles?" he persisted. "The train leaves Dexter ateleven o'clock and it is now nearly eight."
"Of course I can walk it," she said eagerly. "I could walk a hundredmiles to get away from this place."
"You'll miss the New York train, of course."
"I've changed my mind, Mr. Crosby. I shall remain in Chicago until wehave had our revenge on Austin and the others."
"That's very good of you. May I ask where you stop in Chicago?"
"My apartments are in the C--- Building. My mother lives with me."
"Will you come to see me some time?" he asked, an odd smile on his lips.
"Come to see you?" she cried in surprise. "The idea! What do you mean?"
"I may not be able to call on you for some time, but you can be verygood to me by coming to see me. I'll be stopping at St. Luke's Hospitalfor quite a while."
"At St. Luke's Hospital? I don't understand," she cried perplexed.
"You see, my dear Mrs. Delancy, I have come to a definite conclusion inregard to our present position. You must not stay here all night. I'd bea coward and a cur to subject you to such a thing. Well, I'm going downto tackle that dog."
"To--tackle--the--dog," she gasped.
"And while I'm keeping him busy you are to cut and run for the road downthere. Then you'll have easy sailing for town."
"Mr. Crosby," she said firmly, clasping his arm; "you are not to leavethis beam. Do you think I'll permit you to go down there and be torn topieces by that beast, just for the sake of letting me cut and run, asyou call it? I'd be a bigger brute than the dog and--and--"
"Mrs. Delancy, my mind is made up. I'm going down!"
"That settles it! I'm coming too," she proclaimed emphatically.
"To be sure. That's the plan. You'll escape while I hold Swallow."
"I'll do nothing of the sort. You shall not sacrifice yourself for mysake. I'd stay up here with you all the rest of my life before I'dpermit you to do that."
"I'll remind you of that offer later on, my dear Mrs. Delancy, when weare not so pressed for time. Just now you must be practical, however. Wecan't stay up here all night."
"Please, Mr. Crosby, for my sake, don't go down there. To please me,don't be disfigured. I know you are awfully brave and strong, but he issuch a huge, vicious dog. Won't you please stay here?"
"Ten minutes from now it will be too dark to see the dog and he'll havean advantage over me. Listen: I'll meet you at the depot in an hour anda half. This is final, Mrs. Delancy. Will you do as I tell you? Run forthe road and then to town. I'll promise to join you there."
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" she moaned, as he drew away from her and swung onefoot to the ladder. "I shall die if you go down there."
"I am going just the same. Don't be afraid, little woman. My pocketknife is open and it is a trusty blade. Now, be brave and be quick.Follow me down the ladder and cut for it."
"Please, please, please!" she implored, wringing her hands.
But he was already half-way down the ladder and refused to stop.
Suddenly Crosby paused as if checked in his progress by someinsurmountable obstacle. The dog was at the foot of the ladder, snarlingwith joy over the prospective end of his long vigil. Above, Mrs. Delancywas moaning and imploring him to come back to her side, even threateningto spring from the beam to the floor before he could reach the bottom.
"By George!" he exclaimed, and then climbed up three or four rounds ofthe ladder, greatly to the annoyance of the dog.
"What is it?" cried Mrs. Delancy, recovering her balance on the beam.
"Let me think for a minute," he answered, deliberately resting his elbowon an upper round.
"It is about time you were doing a little thinking," she said, reliefand asperity in her voice. "In another second I should have jumped intothat dog's jaws."
"I believe it can be done," he went on, excited enthusiasm growing inhis voice. "That's what bulldogs are famous for, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you are talking about, but I do know that wheneverthey take hold of anything they have to be treated for lockjaw beforethey will let go. If you don't come up here beside me I'll have a fit,Mr. Crosby."
"That's it--that's what I mean," he cried eagerly. "If they close thosejaws upon anything they won't let go until death them doth part. Gad, Ibelieve I see a way out of this pickle."
"I don't see how that can help us. The dog's jaws are the one and onlyobstacle, and it is usually the other fellow's death that parts them.Oh," she went on, plaintively, "if we could only pull his teeth. Goodheaven, Mr. Crosby," sitting up very abruptly, "you are not thinking ofundertaking it, are you?"
"No, but I've got a scheme that will make Swallow ashamed of himself tothe end of his days. I can't help laughing over it." He leaned back andlaughed heartily. "Hold my coat, please." He removed his coat quicklyand passed it up to her.
"I insist on knowing what you intend doing," she exclaimed.
"Just wait and see me show Mr. Swallow a new trick or two." He hadalready taken his watch and chain, his fountain pen, and other effectsfrom his vest, jamming them into his trousers pockets. Mrs. Delancy, inthe growing darkness, looked on, puzzled and anxious.
"You might tell me," she argued resentfully. "Are you going to try toswim out?"
Folding the vest lengthwise, he took a firm grip on the collar, andcautiously descended the ladder.
"I'll not come to the hospital," she cried warningly. "Don't! he'll biteyour leg off!"
"I'm merely teasing him, Mrs. Delancy. He sha'n't harm my legs, don'tfear. Now watch for developments." Pausing just beyond
reach of thedog's mightiest leaps, he took a firm hold on the ladder and swung downwith the vest until it almost slapped the head of the angry animal. Itwas like casting a fly directly at the head of a hungry pickerel.Swallow's eager jaws closed down upon the cloth and the teeth met like avice. The heavy body of the brute almost jerked Crosby's arm from thesocket,
The Day of the Dog Page 3
