“Those dear little bobwhites,” Dorothy sighed again. “Why is it that boys want always to kill?”
“So’s to eat,” Joe said bluntly. “You know yourself, Dorothy Dale, that you like partridge on toast and rabbit stew.”
She laughed at them. “I shall go hungry, then, I’m afraid, as far as you boys are concerned.”
“Of course we can’t get any game if we don’t have a dog. Brindle couldn’t jump a flea,” growled Joe.
“Say! the big fellows used to have lots more pets than we’ve got,” complained Roger, referring to Ned and Nat.
“They had dogs,” added Joe. “A whole raft of ’em.”
“Oh, dear me!” exclaimed Dorothy. “I’ll see what can be done. But another dog!”
“We won’t let him bite you, Sister,” proclaimed Roger. “We only want him to chase rabbits or to start up the birds so we can shoot ’em.”
Dorothy’s “I’ll see” was, of course, taken by the boys themselves as an out-and-out agreement to do as the boys desired. They were convinced that if she gave her mind to it their sister could perform almost any miracle. At least, she could always bring the rest of the family around to her way of thinking.
Ned and Nat had opposed the bringing of another dog upon the place. They were fond of old Brindle; but it must be confessed that the watchdog was bad tempered where other dogs were concerned.