[Illustration]

[Illustration]

Peterkins was too large to sleep in the nursery, so he had a nice cozy dog-house under the grape arbor.

“Come in,” Peterkins said when he saw and recognized the dolls, so all the dollies went into Peterkins’ house and sat about while Raggedy told him why they had come.

“It has worried me, too!” said Peterkins, “but I had no way of telling your mistress where Fido was, for she cannot understand dog language!  For you see,” Peterkins continued, “Fido and I were having the grandest romp over in the park when a great big man with a funny thing on the end of a stick came running towards us.  We barked at him and Fido thought he was trying to play with us and went up too close and do you know, that wicked man caught Fido in the thing at the end of the stick and carried him to a wagon and dumped him in with a lot of other dogs!”

“The Dog Catcher!” cried Raggedy Ann.

“Yes!” said Peterkins, as he wiped his eyes with his paws.  “It was the dog catcher!  For I followed the wagon at a distance and I saw him put all the dogs into a big wire pen, so that none could get out!”

“Then you know the way there, Peterkins?” asked Raggedy Ann.

“Yes, I can find it easily,” Peterkins said.

“Then show us the way!” Raggedy Ann cried, “for we must try to rescue Fido.”

So Peterkins led the way up alleys and across streets, the dolls all pattering along behind him.  It was a strange procession.  Once a strange dog ran out at them, but Peterkins told him to mind his own business and the strange dog returned to his own yard.

At last they came to the dog catcher’s place.  Some of the dogs in the pen were barking at the moon and others were whining and crying.

[Illustration]

There was Fido, all covered with mud, and his pretty red ribbon dragging on the ground.  My, but he was glad to see the dolls and Peterkins!  All the dogs came to the side of the pen and twisted their heads from side to side, gazing in wonder at the queer figures of the dolls.

“We will try and let you out,” said Raggedy Ann.

At this all the dogs barked joyfully.

Then Raggedy Ann, the other dolls and Peterkins went to the gate.

The catch was too high for Raggedy Ann to reach, but Peterkins held Raggedy Ann in his mouth and stood up on his hind legs so that she could raise the catch.

When the catch was raised, the dogs were so anxious to get out they pushed and jumped against the gate so hard it flew open, knocking Peterkins and Raggedy Ann into the mud.  Such a yapping and barking was never heard in the neighborhood as when the dogs swarmed out of the enclosure, jumping over one another and scrambling about in the mad rush out the gate.

Fido picked himself up from where he had been rolled by the large dogs and helped Raggedy Ann to her feet.  He, Peterkins, and all the dolls ran after the pack of dogs, turning the corner just as the dog catcher came running out of the house in his nightgown to see what was causing the trouble.