"Yes, haven't I?" said Kitty.
She placed her basket on the ground, and stood watching the boys for some while, but she soon tired of inactivity, and strolled around the edge of the pond, still leading Snip. By-and-bye she caught sight of some fine forget-me-nots growing close to the water, and stooped to gather them. At that exact moment Snip spied a water-rat, and, jerking the leash out of his mistress' hand, sprang Into the water in pursuit of it.
"There!" cried Bob. "I knew what it would be!" He threw aside his rod as he spoke, and glared angrily at his sister. "You must have let him go on purpose, Kitty!" he asserted.
"I did not!" the little girl declared. "Indeed I did not! Oh, Bob, I'm so sorry! Come here, Snip! Come here, sir!"
But Snip paid not the least attention to her. He was now swimming around the edge of the pond, and sniffing into the rat-runs which undermined the bank. Tim was secretly as vexed with Kitty as was Bob, but out of pity for her he did not show his feelings, and stood listening in silence to the hot words which were now passing between the sister and brother.
"Well," Bob said at length, his anger beginning to cool, "of course, if you say you didn't let him go on purpose, I believe you, and we'll drop the subject. We'd better go home to tea now, I suppose."
"I'm sorry I came," murmured Kitty, almost tearfully. "I know you didn't want me. Oh, oh!" she cried, her tone suddenly changing to one of great excitement. "Look at Snip, boys! Oh! Do look! What's the matter with him? Oh, see how he's struggling! Oh, Bob! Oh, Tim! He'll drown—he'll drown!"
Snip had turned a rat out of its lair in the bank, and had been swimming across the pond, which was very deep in the centre, after it, when something had become entwined about his hind legs, and he was now struggling in vain to get them free.
"Don't be silly, Kitty!" Bob said, speaking sharply, because he was frightened and could not think what had happened to the dog. "How can Snip drown when he can swim like—"
"Oh, you don't understand!" broke in Kitty, wringing her hands in her distress. "It's the leash! It's got around his legs, and—Oh, Bob, go to him, go to him!"