And in the natural course of events the young Alloway namesake did
awaken and gave lusty vent to a demand for human companionship, which
was answered promptly by the General, who happened to be passing the
front gate in pursuits of his own. Finding the house deserted, with
his usual decision of action Stonie picked up the baby and kept on his
way, which led past the garden up the hill to the barn. Young Tucker
accepted this little journey in the world with his usual
imperturbability, and his sturdy little neck made unusual efforts to
support his bald head over the General's shoulders as if in pride at
being in the company of one of his peers and not in the usual feminine
thraldom.

Finding the barn also deserted, Stonie laid young Tucker on the straw
in the barrel with two of Sniffer's sleeping puppies and began to
attend to his errand, which involved the extraction of several long,
stout pieces of string from a storehouse of his own under one of the
feed bins and the plaiting of them into the cracker of a whip which he
had brought along with him.

Down below the store the rest of the Swarm were busy marking out a
large circus ring and discussing with considerable heat their
individual rights to the various star parts to be performed in the
coming exhibition. The ardors of their several ambitions were not at
all dampened by the knowledge of the fact that the audience that would
be in attendance to witness their triumphs would in all probability
consist of only Granny Satterwhite, whom little Miss Amanda always
coaxed to attend in her company, with perhaps a few moments of
encouragement from Mr. Crabtree if he found the time. To which would
always be added the interested and jocular company of Mr. Rucker, who
always came, brought a chair to sit in and stayed through the entire