"There"s one of the yellow curs we saw in that Indian village," remarked Tubby; "and some boys are plaguing the life half out of him by throwing sticks, and trying to round him up. He must have broken loose from the enclosure where he was confined, and don"t know how to get back again.
Look at the way he acts, will you? They"d better go slow, or he"ll bite one of those sillies! Oh, look at him snapping, will you, Rob? Makes me think of the mad dog that ran through our town last--"
"Stop that talk, Tubby!" ordered Rob, sternly; but apparently it was too late, for some one gave a shout, and like magic the cry was taken up until dozens of frightened voices sent it rolling along the street of the Zone:
"Mad dog! mad dog! run for your lives, everybody!"
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MAD DOG PANIC.
No more dreadful cry can be imagined than the one the four scouts now heard rising all around them. It made many faces turn deathly white, and there was a hasty flight on the part of the more timid in order to gain the shelter of the adjoining walls of the booths.
Some boys and men also remained, and commenced to pelt the wretched cur still further with stones, sticks, or anything they could lay hands on, meanwhile keeping up more or less wild shouting.
"The fools!" exclaimed Rob, indignantly; "that dog is no more mad than I am; but they"re doing everything they can to make him so. He"s already scared half out of his head with all those things being shied at him. He snarls and snaps because he"s at bay, and the old wolf nature shows then.
All he wants is to get back home somehow!"
The clamor grew in violence as new voices joined in. Those who came running up, always eager to see whatever was going on, began to hurl things at the cringing yellow cur flattened against the wall; though when the poor beast once started toward them it was amazing to see how the mob melted away, men falling over each other in their frantic fear of being bitten.
Rob was growing more and more indignant. He tried to speak to some of those nearest him, but he might as well have tried to stop the flow of Niagara for all the effect his words of expostulation had upon the shouters.
Women and children were shrieking in fright, even though they were apparently safe in the various buildings that lined the sunny street of the Zone.
"I just can"t stand for this racket!" the others heard Rob say, as he suddenly left them and sprang forward.
Immediately loud voices called out, some warning him not to be rash, and others applauding his daring, for it is always so easy to stand back and clap hands when some one is taking the chances.
"Oh! what does Rob mean to do?" cried Tubby, who had seen the mad dog killed in the main street of Hampton the previous summer, and had a perfect horror of being brought into personal contact with any animal suffering from the rabies.
"He isn"t intending to try and grab the beast!" explained Hiram. "Rob knows better than that, even if the dog is only scared, and not mad. It would bite him just as quick, I guess, as if it was rabid. Watch and see what his game is, fellows; Rob knows what he"s about, you"d better believe!"
Every eye was centered on the form of the boy as he advanced toward the cowering dog. Rob was snapping his fingers, and acting as friendly as he could, wishing to a.s.sure the beast he had no hostile motive in approaching. This he did in order to keep the frenzied and tortured dog from jumping at him before he could manage to put his little plan into operation.
At least it held the attention of the dog, though the animal suspected the genuine nature of his advance, and cowered there watching him, still snarling viciously.
It required considerable nerve to keep on in spite of the increasing growls of the dog at bay. Rob was ready to act in case the beast did spring toward him, for he certainly had no intention of allowing its jaws to come in contact with his flesh.
Most of the shouting had died out by now. Everybody was watching with held breath to see what that venturesome boy in khaki would attempt. Many doubtless believed, as they stared with distended eyes, that Rob actually meant to grapple with the animal and throttle it.
"It"s a burning shame to let a boy try what men might have done!" one white-faced woman near the other scouts was heard to say; and they could readily imagine that she had boys of her own at home, of whom she was doubtless thinking as she watched Rob walking forward into the danger zone.
But Rob had another scheme in view. Unarmed, he did not covet an encounter at close quarters with that yellow dog, whether the beast was mad or only frenzied with fear.
In fact, Rob meant to try and cage him, if it could be worked. He believed that if given a chance the dog would only too gladly slip in through any opening that seemed to offer him a temporary refuge from all those shouting tormentors.
Rob, in taking a rapid survey of the situation, had noticed what seemed to be a partly finished booth which was being erected for some late coming concession owner. The small building was almost finished, and had a door, which he had seen was ajar, though not fully open.
It was the boy"s plan, made up on the spur of the moment, to reach that door and push it wide open. Then in some fashion perhaps the frightened dog might be influenced to enter, when the door could be closed, and thus he would be held in a trap.
Perhaps Rob"s heart beat like a trip-hammer within him as he came close to that door, and he fancied he saw the dog starting to jump toward him.
He snapped his fingers again and spoke kindly. It may be these expressions of good-will had a little effect on the beast; at any rate the advance movement was delayed, though the vicious snarling and whining continued.
Then Rob found that he could stretch out his hand and reach the door. He started to push it open, though it was no easy task.
Having accomplished this to his satisfaction, he began to back away, still keeping his eyes on the dog, and ready to seek some friendly place of safety in case of necessity.
The dog had seen his action. It must have known that an avenue of escape had been opened up by the pushing back of that door. Possibly the poor beast antic.i.p.ated a safe return to the village where it had been at home among its kind.
"Look! it"s going to accept Rob"s invitation!" cried Tubby, excitedly.
"Smart dog!" said Andy; "he may save his bacon by that clever move."
"There he goes in; now what d"ye think of that for a bright trick?" Hiram shouted.
That was just what the badgered dog did-slipped along the wall until it came to the partly open door, and then vanished from view.
"There goes Rob back! What"s he meaning to do now, I wonder?" Tubby exclaimed, in fresh consternation.
"He wants to complete the job by shutting the door," explained Andy, who could grasp a situation like this much better than the stout scout, because his wits worked quicker.
All sounds ceased again as Rob pushed along the wall of the new building until he could reach out his hand. Then the door began to close, faster and faster until the yawning gap was entirely filled.
Hardly had this been done than there arose a deafening cheer. Everybody seemed to be wild with delight, and shook hands with one another in their excitement. Now that the terrible "mad dog" had been caged, plenty of weapons would be remembered; and it would be so easy, and safe, to shoot through the windows of the building.
"Let"s get out of this, fellows!" said Rob, when he managed to worm his way through the crush and join his mates.
Tubby frowned as though it was against his principles to run away when people were wanting to shake hands, and call one a hero; but not wanting to be left behind the others, Tubby had to go.
They had not reached a point far distant when the report of several firearms reached them. Rob shook his head and frowned.
"That"s about the silliest thing I ever ran up against," he said. "The dog was no more mad than Tubby here is. Those boys pestered him, and got him scared. Then all that shouting and waving of hands and throwing of things at him finished the business. It was a foolish scare, and I guess nine out of ten mad dog hunts are in the same cla.s.s."
"Well, they"ve finished the poor thing now, I guess!" ventured Hiram.
"It sounds like it the way they"re cheering, just as if they"ve done something mighty heroic!" added Andy.
"The only thing worth a cheer," remarked Tubby, emphatically, "was when our chum Rob walked right at the snarling beast, and took all sorts of chances of getting bit and clawed up. That needed nerve, let me tell you!"
"Oh! not any to speak of," said the scout leader, hastily. "I made sure to have my eye on a shed close by all the while; and if he"d really made a jump for me you"d have seen a mighty fine exhibition of high and lofty climbing. Mad or not, I wasn"t meaning to stay there and tackle him, without a thing to hit him with."
"But it all worked well, as nearly always happens with you, Rob," said Tubby; "though once my heart seemed to be up in my throat; that was when you had to snap your fingers and coax him, Rob. Only for that he"d have made for you, thinking you meant to strike him."
"I"m glad it"s over," observed Hiram, shuddering.
"That dog belonged to the Injuns we saw in the village," ventured Andy, thoughtfully; "and you know Injuns think roast dog is the finest dish ever. I expect they"ll want to claim the remains. Little they"ll bother about any talk of mad dog; it"s more likely to be mad Injun when they find out what"s happened."