“See the hayseeds who come here and think they know it all!  I will take this hat and keep it until its owner tells me what I asked,” and he grasped Paul’s hat, intending to run, but Paul was too quick for him, for he lay hold of the boy’s arm, and got his hat.

This was just what the rough street urchins wanted, and they gathered about the three; pushed against Odysseus-Fritz, Achilles-Franz and Patroclus-Paul, and as no policeman was near, they would have mastered the three peaceable, well-bred boys, but at that moment Pixy, who had been watching the game, sprang in the midst of the melee, grasped the sleeve of one of the boys, snarling savagely, as if he were a terribly dangerous dog, indeed.  The frightened boy tore himself loose with such force that he fell to the ground and Pixy, as though scorning to attack a fallen enemy, grasped the seat of the pants of another boy, tore a piece out, which released the boy, and he and the others ran as fast as their feet would carry them from such a dangerous locality.  Pixy followed their hasty flight, barking vigorously, and would have made another attack had not Fritz called him back.  The three Grecian heroes petted and praised him, and he wagged his tail for joy, and capered about them as much as to say, “Didn’t I make them fly!”

Yet prouder was his young master, and he could not help reminding his comrades that he was not so foolish after all in bringing his dog to Frankfort, to which they agreed, for they felt much relieved at the scatterment of the rough and violent street urchins.

“But,” continued Fritz, “it will be better for us to leave here, for these rough boys may collect a larger company and come back and fight us; and as brave as Pixy is, he might not be able to manage them all.”

“Say, boys,” exclaimed Franz after they had walked some distance, “we will not raise our hats to every soldier that happens along.  That is why the street boys made fun of us.  It would be all right if we only knew a General should he come along for then it would certainly be good form to raise our hats to him.  But we don’t know, so we won’t raise our hats to any man in uniform,” advised Franz.  All agreeing to this decision, they passed on to the business part of the city, Pixy trotting near them, his young master holding fast to his rope.

“Just see that splendid clothing-house made of glass and iron, and filled from basement to roof with beautiful suits of clothing of all kinds,” said Fritz delightedly.  “A man could go in there in a morning-gown, and come out in a quarter of an hour dressed like a gentleman from head to foot.  Father told me of a splendid clothing-house here in Frankfort, and this must be the one.  Let us go in and see it.”

“But we cannot take Pixy in,” said thoughtful Paul.  “Surely they would not allow dogs in that beautiful place.”

“No,” replied Fritz, “you boys may go in first, and I will stay here with Pixy.  After you have been through the building you can stay with him while I go.”