FREDDIE saw Danny coming， and did the most natural thing in the world.He dropped the hose and ran.And you know what a hose， with water bursting from the nozzle will sometimes do if you don't hold it just right.Well， this hose did that.It seemed to aim itself straight at Danny， and again the rough boy received a charge of water full in the face.
"Ha 梙 a 梙 ere！You quit that！" he gasped."I'll fix you for that！"The water got in his eyes and mouth， and for a moment he could not see.But with his handkerchief he soon had his eyes cleared， and then he camerunning toward Bert.
Danny Rugg was larger than Bert， and stronger， and， in addition， was a bullying sort of chap， almost always ready to fight some one smaller than himself.
But what Bert lacked in size and strength he made up in a bold Spirit.He was not at all afraid of Danny， even when the bully came rushing at him.Bert stood his ground manfully.He had taken up the hose where Freddie had dropped it， and the water was spurting out in a solid stream.Freddie， having gotten a safe distance away， now turned and stood looking at Danny.
Danny， too， had halted and was fairly glaring at Bert， who looked at him a bit anxiously.More than once he and the bully had come to blows， and sometimes Bert had gotten the best of it.Still he did not like a fight.
"I'll get you yet， Freddie Bobbsey！" cried Danny， shaking his fist at the little fellow.Whereupon Freddie turned and ran toward the house.Danny saw that he could not catch him in time， and so he turned to Bert.
"You put him up to do that - to douse me with water！" cried Danny angrily.
"I did not，" said Bert quietly."It was just an accident.I'm sorry." "You are not！I say you did that on purpose or you told Freddie to，andI'm going to pay you back！"
"I tell you it was an accident，" insisted Bert."But if you want tothink Freddie did it on purpose I can't stop you.""Well， I'm going to hit you just the same，" growled Danny， and he stepped toward Bert.
"You'd better look out，" said Bert， with just a little smile."There's still a lot of water in this hose，" and he brought the nozzle around in front， ready to squirt on Danny if the bad boy should come too near.
Danny came to a stop.
"Don't you dare put any more water on me！" cried the bully."If you do， I'll -"He doubled up his fists and glared at Bert.
"Then don't you come any nearer if you don't want to get wet，" said Bert."This hose might sprinkle you by accident， the same as it did when Freddie had it，" he added.
"Huh！ I know what kind of an accident that was！" spoke Danny， with a sneer.
"You'd better get out of the way，" went on Bert quietly."I want to sprinkle that flower bed near where you are， and if you're there you might get wet， and it wouldn't my fault.""I'll fix you！" growled Danny， springing forward.Bert got ready with the hose， and there might have been more trouble， except that Sam， the colored man， came out on the lawn.He saw that something out of the ordinary was going on， and breaking into a run he called out：
"Am anything de mattah， Massa Bert？ Am yo' habin' trouble wif anybody？""Well， I guess it's all over now，" said Bert， as he saw Danny turn and walk toward the gate.
"If yo' need any help， jest remembah dat I'm around，" spoke Sam， with a wide grin that showed his white teeth in his black， but kindly face."I'l1 be right handy by， Massa Bert， yes， I will！""All right，" said Bert， as he went on watering the flowers.
"Huh！ You needn't think I'm afraid of you！" boasted Danny， but he kept on out of the gate just the same.Sam went back to his work， of weeding the vegetable garden and Bert watered the flowers.Pretty soon Freddie came back.
"Did - did Danny do anything to you？" the little fellow wanted toknow.
"No， Freddie， but the hose did something to him，" said Bert."Oh， did it wet him again？""That's what it did."
"Ha！Ha！" laughed Freddie."I wish I'd been here to see it， Bert." "Well， why did you run？""Oh， I - I thought maybe - mamma might want me，" answered Freddie， but Bert understood， and smiled.Then he let Freddie finish watering the flowers， after which Freddie played he was a fireman， saving houses from burning by means of the hose.
Snap， the trick dog came running out， followed by Flossie， who had just been washed and combed， her mother having put a clean dress on her.
"Oh， Freddie，" said the little girl， "let's make Snap do some tricks.See if he will jump over the stream of water from the hose.""All right，" agreed her little brother."I'll squirt the water out straight， and you stand on one side of it and call Snap over.Then he'll jump."Flossie tried this， but at first the dog did not seem to want to do this particular trick.He played soldier， said his prayers， stood on his hind legs， and turned a somersault.But he would not jump over the water.
"Come， Snap， Snap！" called Flossie."Jump！"Snap raced about and barked， and seemed to be having all sorts of fun， but jump he would not until he got ready.Then， when he did Freddie accidentally lowered the nozzle and Snap was soaked.
But the dog did not mind the water in the least.In fact he seemed to like it， for the day was warm， and he stood still and let Freddie wet him all over.Then Snap rolled about on the lawn， Freddie and Flossie taking turns sprinkling.
