hung above her. A slashing grip of his teeth in the shoulder of
her white dress and a lightning heave of his mighty neck and
shoulders--and the little form was hurtling through the air and
into the weed-filled wayside ditch.

In practically the same instant Chum's body whizzed into the air
again. But this time by no impetus of its own. The high-powered
car's fender had struck it fair, and had tossed it into the ditch
as though the dog had been a heap of rags.

There--huddled and lifeless--sprawled the beautiful collie. The
car put on an extra spurt of speed and disappeared round the next
turn.

Olive was on her feet before Dorcas's flying steps could reach
her. Unhurt but vastly indignant, the baby opened her mouth to
make way for a series of howls. Then, her eye falling on the
inert dog, she ran over to Chum and began to cry out to him to
come to life again.

"No use of that, kid!" interposed Link, kneeling beside the
collie he loved and smoothing the soiled and rumpled fur. "It's
easier to drop out of life than what it is to come back to it
again. Well," he went on harshly, turning to the weeping Dorcas,
"the question has answered itself, you see. No need now to tell
me to get rid of him. He's saved me the bother. Like he was
always saving me bother. That being Chum's way."

Something in his throat impeded his fierce speech. And he bent
over the dog again, his rough hands smoothing the pitifully still