Four Afoot: Being the Adventures of the Big Four on the Highway

by Ralph Henry Barbour

  CHAPTER VII

  WHEREIN BARRY DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF

  They rested until a little after two o’clock, and then, the intensestheat of a very hot day having passed, they took up their journey again,the party of four now having become a party of five.

  The fifth member had remained on the porch while the boys had eatentheir dinners. There had been some compulsion about it, as a cordhad been tied to his collar and then to the railing. But after thefirst minute or two, during which he had evidently labored under theimpression that his newly found friends were about to escape him again,he had accepted the situation philosophically and had even dozed onceor twice there in the sun. He looked very much better after he hadbeen released and, surrounded by the boys, had eaten a hearty dinner.The sun had dried his coat, and the food had apparently restored hisself-respect. A man in whipcord, probably a groom or stableman, pausedon his way out of the hotel.

  “That’s a nice-looking dog you’ve got there,” he observed after asilent contemplation of the terrier. “Where’d you get him, if it’s nooffense, sir?”

  Dan hesitated. Then:

  “Over near Barrington,” he answered uneasily.

  “Thoroughbred, I guess,” said the other questioningly.

  Dan nodded carelessly. The man stooped and snapped his fingers.

  “Here, boy, come see me. What’s his name, sir?”

  “Er--Barry,” stammered Dan.

  “Here, Barry!” called the man. But the terrier acted just as thoughhe’d never heard his name before.

  “He looks a lot like Forest Lad, the dog that won so many prizes in NewYork last winter,” continued the man. “But he’s a bit thinner acrossthe breast than him, I guess. A fine-looking dog, though. Want to sellhim?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” answered Dan.

  “Well, I don’t want him myself, but I guess I could tell you where youcould find a purchaser, and not very far off.”

  “He’s not for sale,” said Dan.

  “Well, I don’t know as I’d want to sell him if he was mine,” said theother as he moved off.

  “Look here, what did you call him Barry for?” asked Nelson.

  “Gee! I had to call him something,” said Dan, “and that’s the firstthing I thought of. I didn’t want that fellow to think I’d stolen thedog.”

  “Well, but what’s Barry mean? What made you think of that?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Dan, puzzled.

  “I do,” said Tom. “You’d just told the man you got him at Barrington;see? Barry--Barrington.”

  “I guess that was it. Mr. Barry, of Barrington. Well, that isn’t such abad name.”

  “It’s easy to say,” responded Bob. “Here, Barry.”

  But the terrier only wagged his tail in a friendly way.

  “He’ll learn his name quick enough,” said Dan. “I wonder, though, whathis real name is.”

  “Let’s see if we can find out,” suggested Bob. “We’ll call him all thenames we can think of and see if he answers to any of them.”

  So they started in, and the terrier, evidently at a loss to know whatit all meant, laid himself down in the sunlight and observed them withpuzzled eyes. They tried all the usual names they could think of, andthen they started on unusual ones. But when Tom got to Launcelot, Daninterfered.

  “Look here, that will do for you,” he said. “I’m not going to have mydog called any such names as that. You’ll be calling him Reginald next,I suppose!”

  “What name was that that fellow got off?” questioned Nelson. “ForestLad, was it?”

  “Yes; maybe that’s his name. Let’s try it. Here, Forest Lad!”

  But the terrier only yawned.

  “Not the same,” said Nelson. “He doesn’t just look like a dog who wouldwin prizes, does he?”

  “Why not?” demanded Dan indignantly. “He’s a mighty fine-looking dog, Itell you!”

  “Even if his name is Barry,” laughed Tom.

  “Well, we’ve given him plenty of chances to choose a name to suithimself,” said Bob, “and he hasn’t done it. So I guess Barry will haveto do.”

  “It’s a good name,” said Dan stoutly. “Isn’t it, Barry?”

  Barry wagged his tail. That seemed to settle it.

  When, presently, they took the road again, Barry remained at Dan’sheels for the first half mile or so, like a well-trained dog. But when,after one or two experimental trips into the bushes, Barry found thathis new master was not a strict disciplinarian, he cut loose. Afterthat he was everywhere. Over walls, through fences, into this fieldand into that, chasing birds, scratching for field mice, and treeingsquirrels, Barry had, as Dan put it, the time of his innocent younglife. But he always came instantly when called, no matter how far awayhe might be; came like a small white streak of lightning, tongue outand eyes sparkling merrily. He was a source of constant entertainment,and the seven miles which lay between Meadowville and Kingston passedunderfoot almost before they knew it. As they came in sight of thelatter town a brisk shower began. For an hour past the clouds had beengathering, big and heavy, overhead, and now the thunder began to crash.Luckily they had but a short distance to go and they covered it inrecord time, Barry, barking hysterically, leading the flying column bysix yards. They found a temporary refuge in a livery stable on the edgeof town, and the terrier put in an exciting ten minutes hunting rats inthe stalls. The stable keeper, a large, good-natured man, offered Dan$10 on the spot for the dog and when that offer was declined raised theprice to $15. Dan was highly pleased at the compliment paid to Barry,but refused to part with him.

  Presently the shower held up for a moment and they thanked their hostand scampered for the nearest hotel. Here they met with difficulties.The proprietor didn’t take dogs. Dan argued and offered to pay extra,but the hotel man was obdurate. There was nothing for it but to tryelsewhere, and so out they went again in a pelting rain and hurrieddown the street to the next hostelry. Here Barry was more welcome; hecould sleep in the smoking room or in the stable. Dan decided in favorof the smoking room, borrowed a piece of cord from the clerk, andhitched Barry to the leg of a writing table. After supper, the rainhaving held up again, they went out and purchased a leather leash.Barry took very kindly to this and was for chewing it up until Danexplained the purpose of it to him. They played cards in the smokingroom until bedtime, and then, having made Barry comfortable for thenight on a piece of bagging, went to their rooms and, as was becomingafter an eighteen-mile tramp, fell promptly asleep.

  Dan and Nelson slept together. It was at about two o’clock in themorning--although that fact wasn’t discovered until later--that Danawoke to find Nelson shaking him by the arm.

  “Wha--what’s the row?” asked Dan sleepily.

  “Barry’s raising Cain downstairs,” answered Nelson. “Listen!”

  Their room was on the second floor near the stairway, and throughthe open transom floated a startling medley of sounds, frantic barkssucceeded by blood-curdling growls, scurrying footsteps, and the crashof an overturned chair.

  “That’s never Barry!” cried Dan.

  “I’ll bet you it is,” said Nelson. “We’d better go down and see,anyway.”

  But Dan was already bumping into furniture in an endeavor to find histrousers. Nelson followed him, but he had more difficulty than hisfriend in finding his apparel, and Dan was out of the room and down thestairs before Nelson’s search was finished.

  Dan took the stairs two or three at a time; he wasn’t particular;and when he reached the office a strange sight greeted his startledeyes. The one gaslight was burning dimly, but it afforded sufficientillumination to show what was going on. On the office counter croucheda man. He wasn’t a very big man, nor was he very prepossessing. Hisclothes had seen much wear and he was badly in need of a shave. Also hewas plainly frightened. And there was cause. The cause, with some twofeet of brand-new leather leash hanging to his collar, leaped excitedlyat the counter in a businesslike effort to get at the occupant of it,and every ti
me he leaped he either barked or growled. Dan took in thesituation in an instant, but he didn’t pretend to understand it. Thehotel proprietor, however, who appeared on the scene at that moment,bearing evidences of a hurried dressing, understood it at once.

  “Leaped excitedly at the counter.”]

  “Barry!” called Dan. “Come here, sir! Come here!”

  “Let him alone,” said the proprietor. “He knows his business, that dog.What are you doing in here?” he asked sternly of the man on the counter.

  “Nothin’,” was the answer. “Call off that beast, can’t yer?”

  “You’ll stay where you are a minute, I guess,” answered the proprietorgrimly. Then he strode to the door, unlocked it, and passed out to theporch.

  “Hi, Brooks! Brooks!” he called loudly. “O Brooks!”

  From somewhere near at hand came an answering hail. Then things beganto happen indoors. Barry, aware of Dan’s presence, had stopped hisbarking and leaping and was watching his prey warily from the distanceof a few feet. Dan also had his eyes on the man, but for all that hewasn’t prepared for what happened. When the answering hail came the manon the counter gathered himself quickly and made a flying leap overBarry’s head. The front door was guarded by the proprietor, and Danstood between the counter and the door leading to the washroom and theback of the hotel. Only the stairway seemed unguarded, and toward thatthe man fled, Barry after him and gaining at every leap. Dan set up ashout and followed Barry. At that moment Nelson, having finally gotinto his trousers, appeared on the landing halfway up.

  “Stop him!” cried Dan. “Stop him!”

  The pursued caught sight of Nelson at the same moment and his hand flewtoward his pocket. Nelson drew aside warily, but as the other plungedpast he threw out his leg and the next moment Nelson and the man andBarry were all mixed up in a writhing heap on the landing. But Dan wasup there in a second, Barry was thrown aside, and in a twinkling thebattle was decided.

  “Grab that hand,” panted Nelson. “He’s got a revolver.”

  Dan obeyed and wrested the implement away. It proved, however, to benot a revolver, but a heavy, leather-covered billy about six incheslong. After that the man underneath gave up the struggle and lay quietuntil Mr. Brooks, who turned out to be the town constable, yanked himto his feet.

  By that time most of the occupants of the hotel, including Tom andBob, had assembled in various stages of undress, and the hubbub wasconsiderable. Tom was wildly excited and stammered question afterquestion. But no one paid any heed to him. A bag well filled withplated silverware, gleaned from the dining room, into which apartmentthe burglar had made his way by forcing a window, was found back ofthe counter. The officer took the names of about twenty persons, mostof whom had seen nothing of the affair, and the unfortunate man washaled away to the jail. After that, for more than an hour, all themale occupants of the house sat around in the office and discussed andrediscussed the affair. Naturally, Barry and Nelson and Dan came infor much praise, Barry especially. Everyone had to pet him, and a lesssensible dog might have had his head turned. But Barry took his honorsmodestly; in fact, he seemed rather bored by the admiration bestowedupon him. Along toward four o’clock the excitement had died downsufficiently to permit of the occupants returning to bed, and thisthey did, Tom bewailing loudly his ill luck in having arrived on thescene too late.

  “If I had bu-bu-bu-been there,” began Tommy.

  “If you had been there,” interrupted Bob unkindly, “the thief wouldhave got away while you were choking over it.”