Billy maintained his grip on the door, and as the others pushed the launch slowly along an opening began to appear. Hardly had the door swung halfway open before a horse’s head appeared in sight, and out came an animal, swimming like a muskrat, only its head, neck, and a small portion of its back being visible.
“There’s the second old chap, all right!” exclaimed Billy, as another head followed the tail of the first horse. “Did he say there were only two of them, Hugh?”
“That’s the extent of the misery here,” came the prompt reply. “But look over yonder, will you, at the chickens perched on that coop; yes, and turkeys, too. Poor things, they’re apt to be pretty hungry before they get a meal again.”
“Oh! what’s that swimming around over there?” demanded Tip. “I do believe it’s a dog; yes, and Farmer Jones did have a fine watch dog. I remember he had him chained to a kennel somewhere about there.”
“We can’t pass by without trying to give the poor fellow a chance for his life,” Hugh declared, as he headed toward the spot where the moving object had been observed.
“He sees us now,” said Tip. “But, say, the poor fellow is so rank tired swimming that he just can’t give even a yelp, let alone a joyful bark. Chances are he sat on top of his kennel till the water got so deep he had to swim; and as he’s fastened with a chain he’d soon have been drowned if we hadn’t come along.”
When they came up to the dog Tip spoke kindly to him, calling him Carlo. Then he took hold and managed in some way to unfasten the animal’s collar. Of course this freed Carlo from the detaining chain that had come very near being his death. Tip and Monkey Stallings assisted the big dog to clamber over the side.
The very first thing Carlo did was to scatter showers of drops all around him, which called for loud protestations from the boys. But after that the rescued dog seemed to want to show his affection by licking any one of the boys’ hands he could find. What better proof could they have of his gratitude than that?
“There are those horses swimming after us,” said Billy. “If we keep on, we’ll be like a traveling circus coming to town, with all the queer things we rescue. I suppose now the next job is to gather in all those fowls there, eh, Hugh?”
“Well, we’ll have to forego that pleasure just now, Billy. There may be human beings in need of our coming. I’m afraid the chickens and turkeys will have to take their chances.”