Searching for a lost dog was more fun, any day, than knocking the dust out of a rug. Chot must have said as much to his mother, or else have promised to finish the beating later, for he soon came running out to join Tom and Rick.
"Where'd he go?" asked Chot, after he had patted Peter on the head, and the dog had wagged his tail.
"We don't know," Rick answered, and then he told about Ruddy having run out at the sound of a whistle.
"It must have been your crow, playing a trick again," Chot said.
"No," declared Rick. "It was that sailor tramp, this time, I'm sure. He wants to get Ruddy back—he told the coast guard so. Ruddy's a lucky dog, and the sailor tramp wanted him."
"He's a good dog all right," agreed Tom. "But it isn't very lucky for him to run away and get lost!"
"'Tisn't his fault!" declared Rick. "That sailor whistled him away. He must have whistled like I do, and Ruddy knew it wasn't Haw-Haw, 'cause the crow was asleep behind the stove. Ruddy ran out when he heard the whistle, and the sailor has him."
"Well, we'll get him back!" cried Chot, fiercely.
Making sure, by calling and whistling, that Ruddy had not come back to the house while he was down street with his boy friends, Rick and his chums started off on the search.
"Can't I come?" asked Mazie, for she loved Ruddy as much as did her brother.