ss, "make Dicky come
back."

"Oh, he'll come back," said Michael reassuringly, though he quaked
inwardly. And so Dicky did. But it was now a matter of Sinbad chasing
him; for as Michael had said, the dog, after stretching his legs as the
mad rush across the lawn enabled him to do, now was very much pleased to
return for a little petting at the hands of those people who had given
him every reason to expect that he should receive it; and supposing,
from Dick's chase after him, that a race was agreeable, he set forth;
his ears, as ragged as his tail, pricked up in the fullest enjoyment of
the occasion.

But Dick saw nothing in it to enjoy. And exerting all his strength to
keep ahead, which he couldn't do as well for the reason that he was
screaming fearfully, Sinbad came up with him easily. Dicky, turning his
head in mad terror at that instant, stumbled and fell. Sinbad, unable to
stop at short notice, or rather no notice at all, rolled over with him
in a heap.

This brought all the stable-boys to the scene, besides Mrs. Whitney who
had seen some of the affair from her window; and finally, when
everything was beginning to be calmed down, Battles reached the lawn.

Sinbad was in Phronsie's lap, who sat on the grass, holding him tightly.

"Oh, Phronsie!" gasped Mrs. Whitney at that. "Michael, do take him
away," as she fled by to Dick. One of the stable-boys was brushing off
the grime from his sailor suit.

"The dog is all right, ma'am," said Michael, "'twas only play; I s'pose
Master Joel has raced with him."

"'Twas only play," repeated little Dick, who, now that he found himself
whole, was surprised the idea hadn't occurred to him before. "Hoh! I'm
not hurt, and I'm going to race with him again."

"Not to-day, Dicky," said Mrs. Whitney, looking him all over anxiously.

"He's all right, ma'am," declared Michael; "they just rolled over
together, 'cause, you see, ma'am, the dog couldn't stop, he was a-goin'
so fast, when the youngster turned right in his face."

And Dick, to prove his soundness of body and restoration of mind, ran up
to Phronsie, and flung himself down on the grass by her side.

Sinbad received him as a most pleasant acquaintance, cocked up his
ragged ears, and tried to wag his poor little scrubby tail, never quite
getting it into his head that it wasn't long and graceful. And then he
set upon the task of licking Dick's hands all over, and as much of his
face as was possible to compass.

"See t