on three legs!" called Teddy, for his pet hobbled
along a little way, to a drier part of the swamp, and then lay down and
began licking with his red tongue the leg that had been caught in a trap.

"Look and see if it's broken," suggested Jimmy. "If it is, we'd better
tie sticks around it like the principal of our school did one day when
Tommy Hicks broke his leg."

"I remember that time," responded Teddy. "Easy now, old fellow," he said
to Skyrocket. "Let me feel your leg to see if it is broken."

Gently, very gently, Teddy moved his fingers along the injured leg.
Skyrocket whined a little, but remained lying there quietly. At last
Teddy stood up.

"I don't believe it's broken," he said. "I guess it was only pinched hard
in the trap."

"It's a smooth-jawed trap, not the kind with the teeth like a saw," said
Jimmy, looking at the trap which had been allowed to spring shut after
Skyrocket's leg was drawn out. "They use big traps, with terrible sharp
teeth and jaws, to catch bears," said the little boy.

"I'm glad this wasn't that kind of trap," said Janet. "But who put it
here, anyhow?"

"It's an old one, and rusty," went on Jimmy, looking at the trap, while
Teddy got some water from the swamp in the top of his cap, and poured it
over the bruised place where Skyrocket's leg seemed to hurt most. The
water appeared to ease the pain a little, and the dog whined gratefully.
Top, now that his work of bringing someone to the rescue was over,
stretched out in a cool place and rested, breathing with his mouth open
and his tongue hanging out. This is the way dogs always cool themselves.

"Yes, it's an old, rusty trap," agreed Teddy, coming up to look at the
thing that had caught Skyrocket. "I guess some muskrat hunter left it
here, all set and ready to catch some animal that came along, ever since
last winter. Maybe the spring was rusty, and not so strong, and that's
why it didn't break Skyrocket's leg."

"I'm glad it didn't!" voiced Janet.

"So'm I," echoed Jimmy. "But how are you going to get Skyrocket home?"

"Oh, it isn't far, and he can go on three legs," said Teddy. "Come on,
old fellow," he called, and Skyrocket managed to hobble along the brook
path and up to the house. Top walked along beside him, every now and then
putting out his tongue and gently licking his companion.

"He's kissing him 'cause he's sorry," observed Janet.

"We're all sorry," declared Teddy. "I'm going to ask mother if we can't
have the