aning eagerly towards Tom Smith, his hand held out. He had been
sitting silent until this moment, but listening attentively to all
that was being said.

Tom Smith turned towards him, looking very foolish; and, as usual,
when he felt small he began to bluster. "Likely tale I'm going to
hand over five shillings now! How do I know you knows anything about
the dog; what one I means, or where he lives, or anything at all
about him? Besides, I don't give the five bob unless I actually gets
hold of the dog."

"I tell you I do know him; he's a yaller dog, a long-legged thing
with a short tail, and he goes about with a girl, and he's called
Dick. I shouldn't have said I know'd him if I didn't."

"A girl!" Tom Smith's cruel eyes lightened with eagerness.
"Have you seen a girl with him? a kid about twelve-year old?
When? Now? Are you sure? Why, 'twas she that stole him!"

"What should a child of that age want to steal a dog for?" asked one
of the other men.

"Better ask her, if you want to know!" retorted the other, rudely.
"I'll give 'ee another shilling if you can help me lay my hands on
the both of them."

"Right you are," agreed Bob, promptly, and without a single qualm of
conscience. "We'd better start; 'tis about four miles from here they
live, and it'll be dark soon."

"Ugh!" Tom Smith looked vexed; he was a lazy man, and he did not
relish the prospect of a four miles' tramp. "I've got to wait for my
old woman to come back," he muttered.

Emma Smith was going round the town with a big basket of tins and
brushes and things, trying to sell some, while he hung about the
public-house, enjoying himself doing nothing. Her round was a long
one, and few people seemed tempted to buy of such a slovenly,
disagreeable-looking woman, one who grew rude too, if people did not
want any of her goods.

So it was that Huldah had got safely home without being overtaken,
and once within that cosy kitchen felt herself safe from all danger.
She little dreamed that at that moment the three persons she feared
most in the world were starting out from Belmouth in search of her.
Poor Huldah!

It was six o'clock and quite dark by the time the trio, and Charlie
and the van, reached Wood End; and many a time before they got there
Bob Thorp would have thrown up the job, if he had not wanted the
money so badly. For the whole of the four miles Tom Smith grumbled,
bullied his wife, beat Charlie, and snapped and snarled at everyone