The Marshland Mystery

perform.
    “He’s a whiz, all right. And so are you, kid!” Mart told Gaye seriously.
    Jim saw the girls in the doorway. “Hey, Madame President, Honey, both of you come on in and take a look at what Mr. Poo’s learned to do!”
    “Yeah, maybe you can teach that Reddy of ours some of these tricks!” Mart added with a laugh as Trixie hesitated.
    She reddened and then sniffed disdainfully at them. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “Reddy couldn’t be bothered learning a lot of silly show-off stuff like that. He’s a real dog!”
    “Oh!” Gaye glared at Trixie and slid down off the table. “I hate you! You’re mean and horrid! Come, Mr. Poo!” She ran to the door and out before any of them realized she was going. The little dog frisked after her.
    They could hear her crying as she ran down the path to the driveway. Everyone stared disapprovingly at the startled Trixie, and Bobby burst into tears.
    “Oh, Trix! You’ve hurt the poor child’s feelings!” Honey said reproachfully. “You know she adores that puppy!”
    Mart snorted at Trixie. “Just because you can’t waltz with a stick on your nose, you get jealous of a poodle!”
    “Oh, I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings,” Trixie stammered. “I was just standing up for Reddy!” She looked appealingly at Brian, but he shook his head and looked grim. It was too much for her. Brian was always her champion. She turned and ran out.
    There was a moment of silence. Then Honey said weakly, “After all, Mart, you didn’t have to be that sarcastic. Trix didn’t mean to—” She broke off abruptly as she was interrupted by Trixie’s call.
    “Jim, Brian! Hurry! Gaye’s fallen and hurt herself!” There was fear in the voice, and they all heard it. Jim was the first to reach the door, but the others were close on his heels, with Honey bringing up the rear and holding Bobby’s hand.
    They saw Gaye lying in a crumpled heap in the middle of the driveway. The small poodle was standing guard beside her motionless figure. When he saw them coming, he started to bark defiantly.
    Trixie reached Gaye’s side first and knelt down by her. “It’s all right, Mr. Poo,” she told the poodle. “We’re going to help her.” He whimpered and lay down beside Gaye, watching alertly as Jim and Brian came up quickly and knelt down opposite Trixie.
    Brian motioned them all to stand back as he made a cautious examination. Bobby was crying loudly, and Honey was having difficulty holding him back from rushing to Gaye. “Somebody hurted Gaye!” he wailed, struggling with Honey.
    Brian looked up at him. “It’s all right, Bobby. Hush, now. She just tripped and knocked herself out. She’ll be okay in a minute.”
    Bobby stopped struggling. If Brian said Gaye was all right, that was good enough for Bobby. He had faith in Brian because Brian never teased him as Mart did.
    “We’d better carry her up to the house,” suggested Jim.
    “She’s coming out of it now,” Brian told him. “She’s got a small bump on her forehead, but that’s about all.”
    Gaye’s eyelids fluttered, and she looked up at them with a sad little moan.
    Trixie asked anxiously, “Oh, Gaye! Do you feel all right now?”
    Gaye frowned at her and struggled to sit up. Jim and Brian helped her, and Jim kept his arm around her shoulders to support her. “Just sit still a couple of minutes, and you’ll feel okay,” Brian told her, but she shoved him aside and glared at Trixie.
    “Go away! I don’t like you!” she told Trixie.
    Trixie flushed, but she stayed where she was. “I’m sorry I made you angry. Mr. Poo is a fine little dog, and he’s awfully brave. Just as brave as Reddy.”
    Gaye looked surprised. She studied Trixie a moment and then demanded with a frown, “How do you know?” She leaned over, put her arm around the poodle, and drew him close to her as she stared into Trixie’s face.
    “Why, the other day in our orchard, when he ran after Reddy, I saw Mr. Poo actually try to attack a snake, all by himself, till I called him off! It was the bravest thing!” Trixie said earnestly.
    “Really?” Gaye’s eyes sparkled, and she smiled at Trixie with real warmth for the first time. “An honest-to-goodness real snake?”
    “I should say it was! A poisonous one!” Trixie answered her gravely. “But Mr. Poo wasn’t the least bit scared of it, though it coiled and hissed at him.”
    “Oh-h!” Gaye shuddered. Then she gave the poodle a hug and laid her cheek tenderly