overtake her.

"Back!" called Link.

Purposely he spoke as low as possible. But the dog heard and
obeyed. The girl, too, started a little, and made as if to turn.
Just then ensued a wild crackling in the thick roadside bushes
which lined the hillside from highway to crest. And a white-clad
little bunch of humanity came galloping jubilantly out into the
road, midway between Dorcas and Link.

At the road edge Olive's stubby toe caught in a noose of
blackberry vine. As the youngster was running full tilt, her own
impetus sent her rolling over and over into the center of the
dusty turnpike.

Before she could get to her feet or even stop rolling, a touring
car came round the bend, ten yards away--a car that was traveling
at a speed of something like forty-five miles an hour, and whose
four occupants were singing at the top of their lungs.

Link Ferris had scarce time to tense his muscles for a futile
spring--Dorcas's scream of helpless terror was still
unborn--when the car was upon the prostrate child.

And in the same fraction of a second a furry catapult launched
itself across the wide road at a speed that made it look like
tawny blur.

Chum's mad leap carried him to the baby just as the car's fender