But Dave very stealthily put down the lantern. Then, his muscles
wholly steady, he snatched up an eight-foot pole that lay on the
ground.
"Now, come on, you beast!" challenged Darrin, making a slight
thrust with the pole.
Enraged at the challenge, the rabid dog sprang forward, its mouth
wide open. Without faltering, Dave made a thrust that jammed
the pole hard into the animal's mouth.
Staggered by the blow, the dog fell back on its side. It never
rose again, for now Darrin used the pole as a club, raining down
blows upon the dangerous animal until he was sure that there was
no life left in it.
"Darrin, that was wonderful nerve of yours!" gasped Fred with
admiration wrung from him in spite of himself. "And you saved
my life!"
"I wasn't thinking of that," said Dave grimly, as he picked up
the lantern. "Don't you believe I'll ever brag about having saved
your life. Now to the car, and be quick."
Fred, stung by the contemptuous answer, felt his resentment raging.
He darted forward so swiftly that he might have been able to
leap into the car and get away with it, had not something else
happened.
For Towser, though he had run away from a rabid specimen of his
own species, had circled about. Now he leaped into the automobile,
growling, just as Fred would have sprung in.
"That's right, Towser. Hold the sneak!" called Dave, arriving
on a run and leaping into the car.
Pages:
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183