“It isn’t my dog! I weally never saw it before,” gasped the dude, growing very warm and red as the dog leaped about him in delight.
“You’ll have to tell that to the judge,” the man assured him.
This really scared Purt. He did not want to be arrested for abusing the strange dog. But he could not allow it to follow him, that was sure. The girls were already disgusted with him for having attracted the brute. 62
“And I never meant to!” thought the boy, in despair. “Oh! if I only had him out in the woods, and had a good rock!”
But he dared not pelt the mongrel after what the bystander had said. The crowd became so numerous that a policeman came strolling that way. He saw Purt with the dog dancing about him.
“Here! this is no place for a circus. You and your dog get out!” commanded the officer of the law. “Move on!”
He flourished his baton; the horrified Purt made off around the nearest corner; the dog stuck like a porous plaster.
“If I only had a club!” groaned Purt.
He escaped the crowd and sat down upon a dwelling house stoop. At once that imbecile dog rushed upon him, leaped into his lap, and lapped Purt’s face!
“Get out! You nawsty, nawsty brute you!” wailed the dude, beating the dog off weakly.