Step unhesitatingly turned in at the gate, and steered for the front door. As his hand touched the old-fashioned brass knocker, however, he heard a savage growl and then a warning cry from Poke, as a big dog came bounding from the shadows near the barn.
Step gave one lusty stroke with the knocker, then sprang aside to avoid the dog’s charge. He took a vigorous kick at the animal, which swerved in time to avoid harm, but also missed its mark; for though it snapped viciously at the boy’s leg, the big teeth failed to meet in his flesh. Step retreated from the porch, and Poke, picking up a stone—luckily he had halted in the roadway—threw it with so sure an aim that the dog yelped with pain, and marking that these were adversaries not to be attacked recklessly, began to bound about Step, barking furiously.
So far as awakening the occupants of the house was concerned, the performance was a great success. Up went a window; a head protruded; a voice spoke wrathfully:
“Clear out, you vagabones! What you mean by skulkin’ around at this time o’ night? Get along with you, or I’ll set the dog on you!”
“Huh! You don’t need to set him on us—he’s a self-starter, all right!” retorted Poke; but Step achieved practical results.
“Fire! Fire! Fire!” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The head protruded farther from the window.
“Fire? Whereabouts?”
“In the woods—beyond the lake! We saw it, and tried to stop it, but it’s too big for us.”
Down went the window with a bang. There was a moment’s delay. The dog, apparently regarding the affair as taken over by higher authority, was content to snarl and circle Step at a respectful distance. Then the door opened, and a man came out, pulling on a coat as he came. He strode to higher ground beyond the house, turned toward the lake, and uttered a startled exclamation.