For just then Tinkle took it into his head to do one of his tricks. He had not done any in two days because George was away.
“Say, he’s smart!” exclaimed the biggest man, who had red hair.
“He is that. Look at him jump!” for Tinkle did his second trick then. He was showing off, you see.
The two men talked together in low voices. They looked toward the house and saw that it was closed. No one was about. Patrick was down at the drugstore and no one was near the stable.
“We could easily put him in the moving van,” said the red-haired man. “He isn’t heavy.”
“But what would we do with him after we took him?” asked the shorter of the two men.
“Why, a trick pony like him is worth money. We could sell him for a hundred dollars, maybe. Let’s take him. No one will see us.”
Of course it was not right for the men to plan to take Tinkle away, but they did, just the same.
“Come here, pony!” called one of the men, and he whistled. Tinkle came closer, for George had taught him to come at the sound of a whistle to get a lump of sugar.