“Then he’s just lost,” said Bunny.  He was glad the ram had not hurt his dog.  But where could Splash be?

They went on a little farther, and Sue called: 

“Splash!  Splash!  Where are you?”

But there was no answer.  Then they went on a little farther, and Bunny called: 

“Splash!  Ho, Splash!”

Hark!  What was that?

They all listened.

From somewhere, a good way off, the faint barking of a dog could be heard.

“There he is!” cried Bunker Blue.  “That’s Splash!”

“Oh, I’m so glad!” cried Sue.

“But why doesn’t he come to us?” Bunny asked.  “Splash always comes when you call him.  Why doesn’t he come?”

No one could answer this.  They listened and waited.  They could hear the dog barking, but the sound was as far off as ever.

“Maybe he can’t come,” said Ben.  “Maybe he’s caught, or hurt, and can’t walk.  We’ll have to go to him.”

“I guess that’s right,” said Farmer Black.  “We’ll find that dog of yours after all.”

They listened in order to tell where the barking came from, and then started off toward a little grove of trees.  It seemed that Splash was there.  And, as they came nearer the barking sounded more plainly.

“Oh, Splash!  Splash!” cried Sue.

The dog barked and whined now.

“He’s hurt!” said Bunker Blue.  “He must be caught in a trap!”

And it was there they found poor Splash.

He had stepped with one paw into a trap that was hidden under the leaves, and there he was, held fast.  For the trap, which was a string spring one, was fastened by a chain to a heavy log.  And as Splash could not pull the log and trap too, he had had to stay where he was caught.

“Oh, you poor, dear Splash!” cried Sue, putting her arms around the dog’s neck.  Splash licked her face with his red tongue, and whined.  Bunny, too, put his arms around his pet.

“Some boy must have set that trap here to catch musk rats,” said Farmer Black.  “I’ve told ’em not to, but they won’t mind.  Let me see now if I can’t set Splash loose.”

This was soon done.  The trap was not a sharp one, with teeth, as some are made, and though one of the dog’s paws was pinched and bruised, no bones were broken, nor was the skin cut.  But poor Splash was quite lame, and could only walk on three legs.

“Splash, what made you run away from home?” asked Bunny.

Of course the dog could not answer.  But he may have found some other dog to play with, and run off to have some fun.  Then he had stepped into the trap, and there he was held until his little friends came to find him.

“And it’s a good thing you looked for him,” said Bunker Blue, “or he might have been out here all night, caught in the trap.”

“Poor Splash!” said Sue, as she hugged him again.

As Splash could not walk along very well, on three legs, Mr. Black said he would hitch up a wagon and take the dog, and everyone else, to grandpa’s place.  And, a little later, this was done.