“There aren’t any bears here!” declared the Curlytop boy. He was not altogether sure of this, but he felt it best to tell Janet so, anyhow.
And, truly enough, this did not prove to be any fierce animal at all. As Janet and Ted stood there waiting, with fast-beating hearts it must be said, there came out from the bushes a dog with black, curling hair.
The black dog barked once or twice on seeing the Curlytops and then, wagging his tail in a friendly fashion, he frisked about them. They knew at once he was a friendly dog, and the dog seemed to know, in an instant, that here were children who loved animals.
“Oh, you darling dog!” exclaimed Janet, patting his head.
“He is a good one,” agreed Ted, pulling his ears, which the dog seemed to like.
“If there’s a dog here there must be people,” Janet said. “I mean somebody must live here.”
“Yes,” Ted admitted. “Unless, maybe, they’re having a picnic. But we’ll soon find out. Go on, Fido, or whatever your name is,” he said to the dog. “Show us where the house is. Home, Fido!”
Fido, or whatever his name was, seemed to understand. He looked first into the face of Ted and then into the face of Janet. He wagged his tail to show that everything was all right, and then started off along a path that led up out of the dark dell.
“Come on, we’ll follow him,” Teddy decided.
This seemed to be just what the dog wanted, for, after going on a little way, he stopped and looked back as if saying to the children: