“H-E-L-P,” she called. “Save me, Connie! Stop him quick before he dumps me into the canal!” _Chapter 2_ HANNY TO THE RESCUE Connie tried to dart ahead of the cart. She could not move quickly enough to stop the runaway dog. On the cart clattered, directly toward the canal. Off rolled one of the milk cans and Vevi nearly went with it. Never in her life had she been more jolted or frightened! When it seemed to her that she certainly would be dumped into the canal, an amazing thing happened. Out of the barn darted a little girl in shining yellow braids, blue skirt and white apron. “Bruno!” she yelled. Then she uttered a command in Dutch. Vevi could not understand it, but the dog did. At any rate, he stopped so suddenly that she nearly was tossed out of the cart again. Connie grasped the dog’s harness. Vevi slid out of the cart as fast as she could. “You bad dog, you!” she said crossly. The little girl in the blue dress came running up. Her blue eyes were dancing with merriment. “Oh, Bruno isn’t a bad dog,” she defended him. “He is a very good dog. He carries our milk and does much hard work here on the farm.” “Well, he nearly dumped me into the canal,” Vevi said, straightening the crumpled skirt of her Brownie uniform. “That was because you did not treat him right. If you would like a ride in the cart, I will make him haul you very nicely.” “No thanks,” Vevi turned down the invitation. “I’d rather ride in a car--or a boat.” “You must be Hanny,” said Connie, smiling in a friendly way. “How did you know my name?” the other asked in surprise. “Miss Mohr, the librarian told us.” “Oh, I know her!” Hanny cried, and her plump face lighted up. “She is very nice.” “So is Miss Gordon, our Brownie Scout leader,” declared Vevi loyally. “They are here now, with Mr. Piff, talking to Mr. Van Der Lann.” “With Peter? He is my uncle.” Hanny straightened the milk cans and then made Bruno haul them to the cheese house. The dog behaved very well when she walked beside him. Not once did he try to run away. Vevi and Connie walked along with the little Dutch girl. “Why do you call your boat the ‘Golden Tulip?’” Vevi inquired. “Oh, that is a secret,” replied Hanny. “A secret?” Vevi was annoyed by the answer. She could not guess why anyone would want to make a mystery of such a simple matter. “Someday everyone in Rosedale will know,” Hanny went on merrily. “Then perhaps my uncle will be very rich and buy me a silk gown!” “How you talk!” Vevi exclaimed. Never before had she met anyone like Hanny. Connie mentioned the boat again, asking the little Dutch girl if she ever went for rides on the canal. “Oh, yes, but not as often as I once did,” Hanny said, her face clouding. “That is because of Freda and Joseph.” “Who are they?” Vevi inquired. “Freda and Joseph Mattox,” Hanny replied. “They have the farm just below ours. They are not very nice and always make trouble. They will not let me tie up the boat anywhere on their land.”