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,