CHAPTER XXI. THE MAD DOG PANIC.
No more dreadful cry can be imagined than the one the four scouts nowheard rising all around them. It made many faces turn deathly white, andthere was a hasty flight on the part of the more timid in order to gainthe shelter of the adjoining walls of the booths.
Some boys and men also remained, and commenced to pelt the wretched curstill further with stones, sticks, or anything they could lay hands on,meanwhile keeping up more or less wild shouting.
"The fools!" exclaimed Rob, indignantly; "that dog is no more mad than Iam; but they're doing everything they can to make him so. He's alreadyscared half out of his head with all those things being shied at him. Hesnarls and snaps because he's at bay, and the old wolf nature shows then.All he wants is to get back home somehow!"
The clamor grew in violence as new voices joined in. Those who camerunning up, always eager to see whatever was going on, began to hurlthings at the cringing yellow cur flattened against the wall; though whenthe poor beast once started toward them it was amazing to see how the mobmelted away, men falling over each other in their frantic fear of beingbitten.
Rob was growing more and more indignant. He tried to speak to some ofthose nearest him, but he might as well have tried to stop the flow ofNiagara for all the effect his words of expostulation had upon theshouters.
Women and children were shrieking in fright, even though they wereapparently safe in the various buildings that lined the sunny street ofthe Zone.
"I just can't stand for this racket!" the others heard Rob say, as hesuddenly left them and sprang forward.
Immediately loud voices called out, some warning him not to be rash, andothers applauding his daring, for it is always so easy to stand back andclap hands when some one is taking the chances.
"Oh! what does Rob mean to do?" cried Tubby, who had seen the mad dogkilled in the main street of Hampton the previous summer, and had aperfect horror of being brought into personal contact with any animalsuffering from the rabies.
"He isn't intending to try and grab the beast!" explained Hiram. "Robknows better than that, even if the dog is only scared, and not mad. Itwould bite him just as quick, I guess, as if it was rabid. Watch and seewhat his game is, fellows; Rob knows what he's about, you'd betterbelieve!"
Every eye was centered on the form of the boy as he advanced toward thecowering dog. Rob was snapping his fingers, and acting as friendly as hecould, wishing to assure the beast he had no hostile motive inapproaching. This he did in order to keep the frenzied and tortured dogfrom jumping at him before he could manage to put his little plan intooperation.
At least it held the attention of the dog, though the animal suspectedthe genuine nature of his advance, and cowered there watching him, stillsnarling viciously.
It required considerable nerve to keep on in spite of the increasinggrowls of the dog at bay. Rob was ready to act in case the beast didspring toward him, for he certainly had no intention of allowing its jawsto come in contact with his flesh.
Most of the shouting had died out by now. Everybody was watching withheld breath to see what that venturesome boy in khaki would attempt. Manydoubtless believed, as they stared with distended eyes, that Rob actuallymeant to grapple with the animal and throttle it.
"It's a burning shame to let a boy try what men might have done!" onewhite-faced woman near the other scouts was heard to say; and they couldreadily imagine that she had boys of her own at home, of whom she wasdoubtless thinking as she watched Rob walking forward into the dangerzone.
But Rob had another scheme in view. Unarmed, he did not covet anencounter at close quarters with that yellow dog, whether the beast wasmad or only frenzied with fear.
In fact, Rob meant to try and cage him, if it could be worked. Hebelieved that if given a chance the dog would only too gladly slip inthrough any opening that seemed to offer him a temporary refuge from allthose shouting tormentors.
Rob, in taking a rapid survey of the situation, had noticed what seemedto be a partly finished booth which was being erected for some latecoming concession owner. The small building was almost finished, and hada door, which he had seen was ajar, though not fully open.
It was the boy's plan, made up on the spur of the moment, to reach thatdoor and push it wide open. Then in some fashion perhaps the frighteneddog might be influenced to enter, when the door could be closed, and thushe would be held in a trap.
Perhaps Rob's heart beat like a trip-hammer within him as he came closeto that door, and he fancied he saw the dog starting to jump toward him.He snapped his fingers again and spoke kindly. It may be theseexpressions of good-will had a little effect on the beast; at any ratethe advance movement was delayed, though the vicious snarling and whiningcontinued.
Then Rob found that he could stretch out his hand and reach the door. Hestarted to push it open, though it was no easy task.
Having accomplished this to his satisfaction, he began to back away,still keeping his eyes on the dog, and ready to seek some friendly placeof safety in case of necessity.
The dog had seen his action. It must have known that an avenue of escapehad been opened up by the pushing back of that door. Possibly the poorbeast anticipated a safe return to the village where it had been at homeamong its kind.
"Look! it's going to accept Rob's invitation!" cried Tubby, excitedly.
"Smart dog!" said Andy; "he may save his bacon by that clever move."
"There he goes in; now what d'ye think of that for a bright trick?" Hiramshouted.
That was just what the badgered dog did--slipped along the wall until itcame to the partly open door, and then vanished from view.
"There goes Rob back! What's he meaning to do now, I wonder?" Tubbyexclaimed, in fresh consternation.
"He wants to complete the job by shutting the door," explained Andy, whocould grasp a situation like this much better than the stout scout,because his wits worked quicker.
All sounds ceased again as Rob pushed along the wall of the new buildinguntil he could reach out his hand. Then the door began to close, fasterand faster until the yawning gap was entirely filled.
Hardly had this been done than there arose a deafening cheer. Everybodyseemed to be wild with delight, and shook hands with one another in theirexcitement. Now that the terrible "mad dog" had been caged, plenty ofweapons would be remembered; and it would be so easy, and safe, to shootthrough the windows of the building.
"Let's get out of this, fellows!" said Rob, when he managed to worm hisway through the crush and join his mates.
Tubby frowned as though it was against his principles to run away whenpeople were wanting to shake hands, and call one a hero; but not wantingto be left behind the others, Tubby had to go.
They had not reached a point far distant when the report of severalfirearms reached them. Rob shook his head and frowned.
"That's about the silliest thing I ever ran up against," he said. "Thedog was no more mad than Tubby here is. Those boys pestered him, and gothim scared. Then all that shouting and waving of hands and throwing ofthings at him finished the business. It was a foolish scare, and I guessnine out of ten mad dog hunts are in the same class."
"Well, they've finished the poor thing now, I guess!" ventured Hiram.
"It sounds like it the way they're cheering, just as if they've donesomething mighty heroic!" added Andy.
"The only thing worth a cheer," remarked Tubby, emphatically, "was whenour chum Rob walked right at the snarling beast, and took all sorts ofchances of getting bit and clawed up. That needed nerve, let me tellyou!"
"Oh! not any to speak of," said the scout leader, hastily. "I made sureto have my eye on a shed close by all the while; and if he'd really madea jump for me you'd have seen a mighty fine exhibition of high and loftyclimbing. Mad or not, I wasn't meaning to stay there and tackle him,without a thing to hit him with."
"But it all worked well, as nearly always happens with you, Rob," saidTubby; "th
ough once my heart seemed to be up in my throat; that was whenyou had to snap your fingers and coax him, Rob. Only for that he'd havemade for you, thinking you meant to strike him."
"I'm glad it's over," observed Hiram, shuddering.
"That dog belonged to the Injuns we saw in the village," ventured Andy,thoughtfully; "and you know Injuns think roast dog is the finest dishever. I expect they'll want to claim the remains. Little they'll botherabout any talk of mad dog; it's more likely to be mad Injun when theyfind out what's happened."
And after that they tried to put the latest incident out of their minds,though Tubby would explode some new idea concerning it every once in awhile, as they wandered about the Fair grounds taking in new sights.