The dog, overjoyed, jumped out first; with a grunt of relief, they followed.
“Back, are you?” greeted Commodore Jones (who sat just as they had left him) when they approached with the oars.
“See what we found,” bade Ned, nodding toward the dog.
“Pointer pup, eh?” said the commodore. “Where’d you get him?”
“Somebody had left him in a barn half under water,” informed Hal; “on Eagle.”
“You don’t say!” responded the commodore, pityingly. “Sech a man ain’t fit to have a dog. You’d better keep him.”
“We’re going to,” answered the boys, in unison.
“What will we do about him?” asked Ned, as they were walking homeward. “Shall we draw lots to see which’ll take him?”
“N-n-no,” responded Hal, reluctantly. “You can have him. My mother says she won’t allow a dog about, or else I’d have had one long ago.”
“That’s too bad,” sympathized Ned. “At our house we all like dogs—at least, mother does if they don’t dig up her flowers.”