erstood, turned back, when to
his surprise, he noticed the top of Tom Clymer's straw hat, as it
slowly rose and sank, moving along the front of the building toward the
front door.

Instead of hurrying off, as he should have done, the lad was making his
way toward the very spot where the dreadful animal was crouching.

"Why, Tod, what are you doing?" called Mr. Hobbs through the open
window; "you will surely be bitten."

Instead of replying or heeding the words, the lad turned his pale face
toward his friend and shook his head, as a warning for him to make no
noise. Then he resumed his advance to the open outer door, doing so
with great care and stealth, as if afraid of being heard by the brute.

The entrance to the old Woodvale school building was reached by two
steps, consisting of the same number of broad high stones worn smooth
by the feet of the hundreds of children that had trod them times
without number. To make his way into the entry where the pupils hung
their hats and bonnets on the double rows of pegs, Tod had to move
slowly and carefully use his crutches. Being tipped with iron he could
not set them down on the smooth stones without causing noise.

But he acted without hesitation. The teacher read his purpose and knew
it was useless to try to check him. He leaned his head out of the
window and held his breath, while he watched him.

Tod never faltered, though none could have understood the danger he ran
better than he. He had a brother and sister among the children that
had scattered in such haste before the snapping cur, and who were
gathering again around the building despite the warning gesture of the
teacher.

He could not know whether they had all escaped or not, but he was sure
that if the dog came forth again, more than one of them must suffer,
and in those days there was no Pasteur with his wonderful cure to whom
the afflicted ones could be taken.

Tod did not tremble, though it seemed to him the brute must hear the
tumultuous throbbing of his heart and rush forth. Puny as was his
strength, he meant that, if he did so, he would steady himself on his
one support, and grasping the other with both hands, strike the dog
with might and main. It is doubtful whether the blow would have
stunned the dog, for the little fellow's confidence in himself was
greater than his bodily powers warranted.

At the moment he rested the end of the crutch on the smooth surface of
the second stone, it slipp