one room, and Mrs.
Dunbar remained down stairs for a considerable time while the
youngsters toned themselves down. Cleo made an opportunity to whisper
to Madaline and Grace not to speak of the shot they had heard fired,
but Mrs. Dunbar and her gardener were just then quietly discussing that
phase of the affair.

"Michael, what was that shot, do you know?" she asked. "I did not want
to mention it before the girls."

"Nor did I, madam," and the old gardener shifted uneasily. "Yes, I
know what it was. They got--poor--Shep."

"You--can't--mean our lovely--Shep has been shot!"

"I wish I didn't, but we may be able to bring him around. He's not
dead. They struck his thigh, and I was after him as quick as I heard
his first whine. That is why I could not answer the telephone at once."

"Oh, Michael. Do everything possible to save our dog. You know how
much we think of him, and we expect Mr. Dunbar home from his trip soon.
Do you think we can save him?"

"I'll take him to the vet's first thing comes daylight," replied the
man. "I wouldn't want to take a year's wages in exchange for Shep."
He snapped these last words with rather a vengeful meaning. "And I'd
like to say, madam, if I might," he continued, "it was a blessing those
little girls went after that other youngster to-night, from what I
heard later. Seems to me sometimes the babies do know more than their
elders."

"Yes, Michael," replied Mrs. Dunbar to whom the news that her dog
having been shot was distinctly a shock. "I, too, heard rumors of
strange men in town, as I came up from the station. Of course, the
police will investigate to-morrow."

CHAPTER XIII

MARY'S MYSTERIOUS PET

The morning dawned on Cragsnook quite as complaisantly as if the night
had shed nothing but joy. And quite as indifferently did the girls
take up the fun where they left off past midnight, when sheer fatigue
had put an end to their tireless pranks. Kicking themselves happily
into the new day, vague remembrances of the wild excitement forging
through more welcome emotions, the Scouts and their visitor were
actually ready for breakfast when Jennie chimed the gong.

Madaline, secretly cherishing the mystery of "something alive" being in
Mary's hidden away basket, could scarcely wait for the meal to end
before asking Mary about it.

But there were a number of interruptions. Mrs. Dunbar was called twice
from the table to answer the telephone, and her monologue