"I guess he got plenty of salt water, swimming in through the waves last night," spoke the coast guard, as he walked on toward his home. "A little bit of fresh would be a change for him."
Ruddy was thirsty, and he quickly lapped up the water that Rick brought to him in a clean basin. And how glad Ruddy was that the water was clean. All animals, even pigs, love to be clean and to have clean food, just as much as we do.
"Are you going to let Rick keep this dog?" asked Mrs. Dalton, as she came out in the yard, and watched Ruddy following Rick and Mazie about in the grass.
"Well, we might try it," said her husband slowly. "He appears like a nice, clean puppy. And a boy and dog seem to go together, somehow."
"But Mazie——" began the mother.
"I guess she likes him as much as Rick does. Let him stay a while. If he makes trouble, of course we'll have to get rid of him," he added in a low voice. "But we'll give Rick and Ruddy a chance together. Quite a team they make—Rick and Ruddy!" and he smiled as he saw the boy toss a stick, which Ruddy ran after and brought back to his little master.
"Well, I hope it will be all right," said Mrs. Dalton, with something like a sigh. "And he does seem like a nice dog. Come, Rick!" she called. "Time to get ready for school!"
"Yes'm!" answered the boy, and he came running in more promptly than he sometimes did. Somehow Rick felt that if he were to be allowed to keep the dog he must be "on his mark," and give no chance for complaints.
"I'll tie him up so he won't run after me," Rick said. "You'll feed him and give him water while I'm gone; won't you, Mother?" he asked.
"Yes, I'll look after him," promised Mrs. Dalton. "But don't be thinking so much of your new dog that you forget your lessons."