Louise had hurriedly cooked supper on the other side of the partition from the coop where the mules were stabled. The fire was not entirely out when she had locked the door. Her desire to reach the showgrounds early made the child careless for once in her cramped life. The mules, quarreling over their supper, became more than usually active. One mule bit the other, who promptly switched around, striving to land both his heels upon his mate's ribs. Instead, the kicking mule burst in the partition between the stable and the living room, or cabin, of the _Nancy Hanks_. The flying planks knocked over the stove and the live coals were spread abroad upon the floor. This began to smoke at once. Little flames soon began to lick along the cracks between the deck planks. The mules brayed and became more uneasy. They did not like the smell of the smoke; much less did they like the vicinity of the flames which grew rapidly longer and hotter. As for Beauty, the hound, her idea of watching the premises was to curl down on an old coat of Quigg's on deck and sleep as soundly as though no peril at all threatened the old canalboat and anybody who might be aboard of it. CHAPTER XV THE PURSUIT Neale O'Neil did not return to Mr. Con Murphy's with a creel of fish until late afternoon. He was going to clean some of his fish and take them as a present to the Corner House girls; but something the little cobbler told him quite changed his plan. "Here's a letter that's come to ye, me bye," said Con, looking up from his tap, tap tapping on somebody's shoe, and gazing over the top of his silver-bowed spectacles at Neale. "Thanks," said Neale, taking the missive from the leather seat beside Mr. Murphy. "Guess it's from Uncle Bill. He said he expected to show in Durginville this week." "And there's trouble at the Corner House," said the cobbler. "What sort of trouble?" "I don't rightly know, me bye; save wan of the little gals seems to be lost." "Lost!" gasped Neale anxiously. "Which one? Tess? Dot? Not _Agnes_?" "Shure," said Con Murphy, "is that little beauty likely to be lost, I ax ye? No! 'Tis the very littlest wan of all." "Dot!" "'Tis so. The other wan--Theresa--was here asking for her before noon-time," the cobbler added. Neale waited for nothing further--not even to read his letter, which he slipped into his pocket; but hurried over the back fence into the rear premises of the Corner House. By this time the entire neighborhood was aroused. Luke had called up the police station and given a description of Sammy and Dot. The telephone had been busy most of the time after he and Ruth had returned from their unsuccessful visit to the canal. Agnes, red-eyed from weeping, ran at Neale when she saw him coming. "Oh, Neale O'Neil! Why weren't you here! Get out the auto at once! Let us go and find them. I _know_ they have been carried off--" "Who's carried them, Aggie?" he demanded. "Brace up. Let's hear all the particulars of this kidnapping."