Agnes would have run; but she fairly bumped into the little man. He seized her by both arms, and she found that she was powerless against him.
At this point Agnes Kenway became thoroughly frightened. She opened her lips and screamed for help.
Instantly there was a scrambling in the brush beside the overturned pile of ties, a savage growl, and a shaggy body sprang into sight and charged the struggling Corner House girl and the man who held her.
CHAPTER XV—AGNES SHOULDERS RESPONSIBILITY
“Tom Jonah!” screamed Agnes; for in this emergency she recognized the old dog.
He had followed the car from town, had scented out her tracks when she entered the woods, and so had followed Agnes to this spot, afraid to come up with her for fear of being scolded; for, of course, he knew well enough he had disobeyed.
But now the dog’s loyalty to one of his little mistresses had brought Tom Jonah out of hiding. The attempt of Asa Scruggs to hold Agnes was an unfortunate move on the clown’s part.
Tom Jonah shot out of the bushes, growling fiercely, and charged the man. Scruggs let go of Agnes and shrank back, trying to flee—for the dog looked quite as savage as the wolf Agnes had thought was following her.
As he turned, Scruggs slipped and went down. His right foot twisted under him and the dog’s heavy body flung him flat on his back. Tom Jonah held the clown down with both forepaws on his chest and a threatening muzzle at his throat.
Agnes could easily have gotten away now. The clown could not move, and Barnabetta began to cry.