Reddy Fox was one who was very much interested in the fate of Bowser the Hound.  As day after day went by and Bowser did not appear, Reddy had a growing hope that he never would appear.

“I can’t imagine what Old Man Coyote could have done to Bowser,” said Reddy to himself.  “He certainly couldn’t have killed Bowser in a fight, for that old rascal would never in the world dare face Bowser the Hound in a fight.  But he certainly has caused something to happen to Bowser.  If that bothersome dog never returns, it certainly will make things a lot easier for Granny Fox and myself.”

As for Farmer Brown’s boy, he was as much puzzled as any of the little people and a whole lot more worried.  He drove all about the neighborhood, asking at every house if anything had been seen of Bowser, Nowhere did he get any trace of him.  No one had seen him.  It was very mysterious.  Farmer Brown’s boy had begun to suspect that Bowser had met with an accident somewhere off in the woods and had been unable to get help.  It made Farmer Brown’s boy very sad indeed.  His cheery whistle was no longer heard, for he did not feel like whistling.  At last he quite gave up hope of ever again seeing Bowser.

CHAPTER XX

WHERE BOWSER WAS

    When things are at their very worst,
    As bad, you think, as they can be,
    Just lay aside your feelings sad;
    The road ahead may turn, you see.

    Bowser the Hound.

You remember that Blacky the Crow led poor Bowser to an old road and there left him.  Blacky reasoned that if Bowser had any sense at all, he would know that that road must lead somewhere and would follow it.  If he didn’t have sense enough to do this, he deserved to starve or freeze, was the way Blacky reasoned it out.  Of course Blacky knew exactly where the road would lead.

Now Bowser did have sense.  Of course he did.  The minute he found that road, a great load was taken from his mind.  He no longer felt wholly lost.  He was certain that all he had to do was to keep in that road, and sooner or later he would come to a house.  The thing that worried him most was whether or not he would have strength enough to keep going until he reached that house.  You remember that he was weak from lack of food, lame, and half frozen.

Poor old Bowser!  He certainly was the picture of misery as he limped along that road.  His tail hung down as if he hadn’t strength enough to hold it up.  His head also hung low.  He walked on three legs and limped with one of these.  In his eyes was such a look of pain and suffering as would have touched the hardest heart.  He whined and whimpered as he limped along.

It seemed to him that he had gone a terribly long distance, though really it was not far at all, when something tickled his nose, that wonderful nose which can smell the tracks of others long after they have passed.  But this time it wasn’t the smell of a track that tickled his nose; it was something in the air.  Bowser lifted his head and sniffed long and hard.  What he smelled was smoke.  He knew what that meant.  Somewhere not very far ahead of him was a house.