Page:The Story of Doctor Dolittle.djvu/135

This page has been validated.

Red Sails and Blue Wings
113

"There is no roast beef cooking on our ship."

"No," said Dab-Dab. "The roast beef must be on that other ship over there."

"But that's ten miles away," said the Doctor. "He couldn't smell that far surely!"

"Oh, yes, he could," said Dab-Dab. "You ask him."

Then Jip, still fast asleep, began to growl again and his lip curled up angrily, showing his clean, white teeth.

"I smell bad men," he growled—"the worst men I ever smelt. I smell trouble. I smell a fight—six bad scoundrels fighting against one brave man, I want to help him. Woof—oo—WOOF!" Then he barked, loud, and woke himself up with a surprised look on his face.

"See!" cried Dab-Dab. "That boat is nearer now. You can count its three big sails all red. Whoever it is, they are coming after us.… I wonder who they are."

"They are bad sailors," said Jip; "and their ship is very swift. They are surely the pirates of Barbary."

"Well, we must put up more sails on our boat,"