Page:Fairview Boys and their Rivals.djvu/52

48 "It's gone! You saw me put it in my pocket on our way here."

"Yes."

"It must have fallen out of my pocket over in the yard there."

"Think so? Oh, say, Mr. Dolby!" called out Bob.

"Well, what is it?" asked the old man, who was just going back into the house.

"I wish you would chain up that dog of yours for a few minutes."

"What for?"

Frank has lost a key in your yard, and he wants to find it."

"Key to what?" growled old Dolby.

"To my father's jewelry store," explained Frank.

"What were you doing with it?"

"My uncle asked me to take it up to the house."

"Huh! You're making a great lot of trouble."

Mr. Dolby picked up a heavy club off the porch and started after the dog. When the animal dodged his blows he flung the club at him, striking him on the ribs. The dog howled with pain, slunk into his kennel, and then his master chained him up.

The boys now came into the yard. They looked and groped all over the garden where Frank had backed away from the dog. Silas Dolby stood watching them.

"Give it up," at length spoke Frank.

"Yes, we've gone over the ground pretty well," said Sammy.

"Perhaps I lost the key before I came here," added Frank. "Thank you, Mr. Dolby."

The old miser only grunted and scowled. The boys started for home.