Kernel Cob And Little Miss Sweetclover Part 7

"Straight ahead!" shouted Kernel Cob while he turned and ran up the other street. This puzzled the Showman just what Kernel Cob wanted, and while he stood, wondering which one of them to follow, they gained on him.

Feeling angrier with Kernel Cob than with the Villain and Sweetclover, he made after him, but Kernel Cob had a good start this time and had turned another corner, and seeing an open doorway, leaped in and was well-hidden by the time the Showman came puffing by.

For a long time the Showman searched, but never thought of the door behind which Kernel Cob was hiding and finally gave up the search and went back.

After Kernel Cob had given him plenty of time to get away, he came out cautiously and with great courage went back the way he had come, anxious to find Sweetclover and the Villain.

When he came to the corner where Sweetclover and the Villain had gone straight ahead, he followed on after them, but could find no trace of them. Night was coming on and still he walked and being very tired with all his running, he sat down on the roadside, for he was now out in the country. And the moon came out and he watched it and thought of the many adventures he had been in since Sweetclover and he were up there and a great longing came into his heart to see her and if he had not been a soldier, I am sure he would have cried, but he didn't.

Instead, he got upon his feet and looked about for some place where he could spend the night.

This he soon found, for close at hand was a field in which some hay had been stacked, and, careful not to arouse the dog, he crept under one of the haystacks and soon was fast asleep.

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CHAPTER IX

The Villain and Sweetclover ran on and on till their legs would carry them no farther and, being entirely out of breath, they came to a halt at last. They were far out beyond the City, and, if they had not been worried about Kernel Cob, they would have enjoyed the lovely fields of flowers and suns.h.i.+ne, but Sweetclover was quite sure that the wicked Showman had captured Kernel Cob and, having recovered her breath, sat down and began to cry. And the Villain, being a very kind-hearted puppet sat down to comfort her, but, try as he would, Sweetclover only cried the louder.

"I'm sure he's captured, I'm sure he's captured," she repeated over and over again, until she made the Villain believe it and he began to cry, too.

"Here, this will never do," said the Villain, getting up. "I'll go back and see if I can find him."

"No, no!" cried Sweetclover. "You'll be caught too, and then what will I do?" So he stayed with her.

Presently they were aroused by the barking of a dog and, looking about, discovered that they were sitting on the terrace of a big house all about which were fields of flowers and grain. And the dog, a big mastiff, came toward them. Sweetclover put out a friendly hand and said, "Nice Fido."

"Don't call me Fido," said the dog, "my name is Napoleon."

"Oh, excuse me," said Sweetclover, "I didn't know."

"That's all right," said Napoleon with a stately bow. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I'm afraid not," said Sweetclover. "My friend here," and she turned to the Villain, "and I have been separated from Kernel Cob and we are anxious to find him. You didn't see him pa.s.s by, did you?"

"No," said Napoleon, "that I didn't."

"Oh dear," sighed Sweetclover, "night is coming on and we have nowhere to go."

"If you will give me a few minutes," said Napoleon, with a courteous wave of his paw in the direction of his house, "I will put my humble home at your disposal."

"We cannot think of disturbing you," said Sweetclover.

"It will be no trouble whatever," he said. "If I can be of any service to you, it will give me much pleasure."

And so they followed him, as he walked away with great dignity, to his kennel.

"What, may I enquire, has brought you to this neighborhood?" he asked as they arrived at his house.

"You see," explained Sweetclover, "we were captured by a very wicked Showman and made to act with him in his puppet-show, so we ran away."

"Have you been long in Valparaiso?" he asked. And she told him her story. How they had been to the moon in search of Jackie and Peggs'

motheranfather, and so on, till the moment when he had met them on the road.

"Very, very interesting, I am sure," he said, "and I wish I could help you in finding Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather, but I think you must be tired, so if you will lie down here I will sleep outside and protect you from any danger."

So Sweetclover and the Villain entered his house, which was very nicely covered with straw and made a very comfortable place to sleep in, and in a few minutes were fast asleep.

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CHAPTER X

In the morning, the sun was s.h.i.+ning brightly and looking out of the door of Napoleon's house they were overjoyed to see Kernel Cob walking toward them, for the field in which he had slept was the one next to where Napoleon lived.

You may imagine their joy.

After he had been introduced to Napoleon, they sat down to think what had best be done.

"I wish I could help you," said Napoleon, "but I am a watch dog and a watch dog may never s.h.i.+rk his duty. I never leave these grounds, for I love my master."

"You have been very kind," said Sweetclover, "and I'm sure we are grateful to you."

"I'll tell you what I can do," said Napoleon, whose forehead wrinkled as he thought, "I can introduce you to a great bird that lives in a field back of me. She is the South American condor and I'm sure she will be able to carry you somewhere."

"All of us?" asked Kernel Cob.

"Why, yes, indeed," replied Napoleon, "she is about ten times as big as you and very strong."

"Oh, goodie," said Sweetclover, "where is she?"

"Over there," answered Napoleon. "Just say I sent you and she will do anything for you."

So, after thanking Napoleon for his kindness, they walked in the direction he had given them and soon came to a great haystack on the top of which was a large nest.

And Kernel Cob called up to the nest and the bird put out her head.

Kernel Cob then introduced everybody and the bird flew down at once.

"We are trying to find Jackie and Peggs' motheranfather," he explained, and after he had told her their story, she was so interested that she said she would help them as soon as she had finished her breakfast.