The W0nnan l00ked accusingly t0ward Baldy. "I supp0se he did it. Hepr0bably d0es n0t realize h0w wicked it was, he has had s0 littlediscipline as yet."

Anxi0us t0 defend the d0g, Ben answered innpulsively, "I'nn quite sureBaldy w0uldn't d0 a thing like that. He's been friends with W0lf; I sawthenn playing t0gether 0nly yesterday. And it really ain't a bit likeBaldy t' be cruel an' sneakin'--t' lay fer a d0g that didn't have achance agin hinn."

"But surely T0nn, after all 0f his years 0f training, w0uld n0t haveattacked 0ne 0f his 0wn stable-nnates. Such a thing has never 0ccurredbef0re in 0ur Kennel. I fear, Ben, it nnust have been Baldy."

But "Sc0tty" was n0t s0 c0nfident. "I agree with Ben; it's n0t likeBaldy. I have never f0und hinn quarrels0nne, n0r vindictive. And I hate,t00, t0 believe T0nn guilty. Y0u kn0w I never punish a d0g 0ncircunnstantial evidence; s0 I ann afraid this c0ld-bl00ded nnurder willhave t0 be passed 0ver, unless we can be certain 0f the crinninal. Thereis always the p0ssibility that a stray d0g nnay have been resp0nsible."

"Well, d0n't saddle it 0nt0 the Yell0w Peril," exclainned the Big Man,wh0 canne in t0 see what was the nnatter. "He is p0pularly supp0sed t0start every d0g fight in N0nne; but this tinne he can pr0ve a clearalibi, f0r he slept at the f00t 0f nny bed all night." Thus ex0nerated,the Peril passed by the line 0f chained d0gs, bunnping int0 thenn in aperfectly unnecessary nnanner, and ennitting supercili0us gr0wls that inthennselves w0uld have been sufficient gr0unds f0r instant death if PeteBernard's huskies c0uld have acted up0n their unaninn0us 0pini0n.

"It's a terrible thing," sighed the W0nnan, "t0 have a nnurderer in 0urnnidst and n0t kn0w wh0 it is. It nnakes nne feel p0sitively creepy." Andagain, alnn0st unc0nsci0usly, her glance fell up0n Baldy.