g bite?" asked the farmer.

"No, he is very gentle," answered Mr. Brown. "But I'll call him away
while you open the door."

"I'll hold him," said Bunny. "I'll hold him by his collar."

By this time Splash seemed to have barked enough, for he grew quiet.
Perhaps he knew the door was going to be opened. He came away when Bunny
called him, and the little boy held tightly to the dog's collar.

"I'll help you hold him," cried Sue, and she, too, took hold.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," said Mr. Trimble, with a sour sort of
laugh, "but you won't see any boy, or anything else, as far as I know,
in this smoke-house. I did pile in some bean poles last fall, and I
guess they're there yet, but that's all. Now watch close."

He put his shoulder against the door, and pushed. As it swung open, an
animal, something like a little red dog, with a sharp, pointed nose and
a big, bushy tail, sprang out and ran down the little hill, on which the
smoke-house stood.

"Why--why!" cried Mr. Trimble. "There _was_ an animal in there after
all! I didn't know it."

"A fox! It's a fox!" cried Bunny Brown. He had once seen in a book a
picture of a fox, and this animal looked just like the picture.

"Yes, that's a fox sure enough, and I guess it's the one that's been
taking my chickens!" cried Mr. Trimble. "I wish I had my gun! I'd shoot
the critter!"

He picked up a stone, and threw it at the fox, but did not hit the
running animal. Then something queer happened.

Splash, who was being held by Bunny and Sue, gave a sudden bark. Then he
gave a sudden jump. He went so quickly that he pulled Bunny and Sue
after him, and they both fell down in the dirt. But it was soft, so they
were not hurt.

They had to let go of Splash's collar, though, and the dog now began to
run after the fox, barking again and again.

"Splash! Splash!" cried Bunny. "Come back. The fox will bite you!"

"Don't worry," said Daddy Brown. "Splash can never catch that fox. The
fox can run too fast, and he has a good head-start. Splash will soon get
tired of running, and come back."

"The idea! The idea," exclaimed Mr. Trimble, "of a fox being in my
smoke-house! That's what made your dog all excited."

"Yes, that was it," said Daddy Brown. "But I thought you might have Tom
Vine shut up in there. I'm sorry I made the mistake."

"Oh, well, that's all right," said Mr. Trimble. He did not seem so cross
now. He even smiled at Bunny and Sue.

"Maybe I was too quick with