"Jack," said Chad, "did you kill that sheep?" This was all strange conduct for
his little master, and Jack looked wondering and dazed, but his eyes never
wavered or blinked. Chad could not long stand those honest eyes.

"No," he said, fiercely--"no, little doggie, no--no!" And Chad dropped on his
knees and took Jack in his arms and hugged him to his breast.



CHAPTER 13. ON TRIAL FOR HIS LIFE

By degrees the whole story was told Chad that night. Now and then the Turners
would ask him about his stay in the Bluegrass, but the boy would answer as
briefly as possible and come back to Jack. Before going to bed, Chad said he
would bring Jack into the house:

"Somebody might pizen him," he explained, and when he came back, he startled
the circle about the fire:

"Whar's Whizzer?" he asked, sharply. "Who's seen Whizzer?"

Then it developed that no one had seen the Dillon dog--since the day before
the sheep was found dead near a ravine at the foot of the mountain in a back
pasture. Late that afternoon Melissa had found Whizzer in that very pasture
when she was driving old Betsy, the brindle, home at milking-time. Since
then, no one of the Turners had seen the Dillon dog. That, however, did not
prove that Whizzer was not at home. And yet,

"I'd like to know whar Whizzer is now!" said Chad, and, after, at old Joel's