“Here comes Splash!” cried Bunny.  “He’ll soon make that turkey gobbler behave.”

Up the sandy beach of the lake shore came Splash racing.  He had stopped to look at a little crayfish, and it had nipped his nose, so Splash was not feeling any too pleasant.  Most of you children know that a crayfish is like a little lobster.

“Here, Splash!  Splash!” cried Bunny.  “Come and drive this bad turkey off Tom!”

“Bow-wow!” barked the big dog, as he came running.

“Tell him to hurry,” begged Tom.  “I can’t shake him off and he’s biting deep into my neck.  I’m feared he’ll bore a hole in it!”

“Hurry up, Splash!  Hurry up!” urged Bunny.

“Bow-wow!” barked Splash again, which, I suppose, was his way of saying he would.

On he came, and, all this while, the gobbler was on top of Tom’s back, gobbling away, fluttering his wings and now and then making savage pecks at the boy’s shoulders and neck.

“Splash will make him go away,” said Bunny.  “Splash likes you now, Tom.  He’s a friend of yours, for he shook hands, and he’ll do anything you want.”

“Well, all I want is for him to get this gobbler off me,” said the ragged boy.

“Hi, Splash!” cried Bunny.  “Get at this bad gobbler!”

Splash rushed up to Tom, and then, raising up on his hind legs, nipped at the gobbler.  The big bird made a louder noise than ever, and suddenly jumped down from Tom’s back.

“Ha!  I knew you’d do it!” cried Bunny in delight.  But just then something queer happened.

Splash, seeing the bird flop down to the ground, made a dash for the gobbler with open mouth, barking the while.

“Now watch that old gobbler run!” cried Bunny, capering about.

But instead it was Splash that ran.  Unable to stand the sight of the big bird, with outspread and drooping wings, with all his feathers puffed out to make him look twice as large as he really was, and with an angry “Gobble-obble-obble” coming from his beak, Splash ran.  It was no wonder, for the turkey was a terrifying sight.  I think even a tiger, a lion or perhaps an elephant would have run.

“Come back!  Come back, Splash!” called Bunny.  “We want you to drive the turkey gobbler away from us.”

But the gobbler was already going away.  He was going right after Splash, who was running down the road as fast as he could go.

“Well, we’re all right,” said Tom.  “That bird won’t bother us any more.”

“And I hope he doesn’t come for me,” said Sue.  “He scared me.”

“But what about poor Splash?” asked Bunny quickly.  “He’ll scare our nice dog awful.”

“Splash seems to be getting away,” remarked Tom, rubbing the place in the back of his neck where the turkey had nipped him.

“Oh!  Oh, dear!” cried Bunny.  “Look what’s happening now.  Splash is coming back this way and the turkey is coming with him.  Oh, what shall we do?”