Ruth nodded.
“Well, I heard somebody scream. It was a girl. Reno began to growl and I held him back till I located the trouble. There was a campfire down under that bank and the scream came from that direction.
“‘Go to it, old boy!’ I says, and let Reno go. I had no reason to believe there was real trouble,” Tom said, wagging his head. “But I followed him down the bank just the same, for although Reno wouldn’t bite anybody unless he had to, he does look ugly—to strangers.
“Well, what do you think? There were a couple of tramps at the fire, and Reno was holding them off from a girl. He showed his teeth all right, and one of them had his knife out. He was an ugly looking customer.”
“My goodness! a girl?” gasped his sister. “What sort of a looking girl?”
“She wasn’t bad looking,” Tom said. “Younger than us—mebbe twelve, or so. But she’d been sleeping out in her clothes—you could see she had. And her face and hands were dirty.
“‘What were they trying to do to you?’ I asked her.
“‘Trying to get my money,’ says she. ‘I ain’t got much, but you bet I want that little.’
“‘I guess you can keep it,’ I said. ‘But if I were you, I’d hike out of this.’
“‘I’m going to,’ says she. ‘I’m going just as fast as I can to the railroad and jump a train. These fellers have been bothering me all day. I’m glad you came along. Thanks.’