Life in Sleepy-side on Hudson was a good life. Jim had been adopted by the Wheelers and his life had never been the same. He had his dog Patch went everywhere together.
It was early in the morning and most of the Wheeler household had not woken up yet. This was his favorite time to go for a ride. Many times he and his horse had gone out early in the morning and this morning was no different. Patch had been running ahead when he had started barking. As Jim approached the spot where Patch was he looked down.
There in the grass was a dog. The dog looked very hungry and scared. He was shivering from the cold. Jim picked up the little dog that he did not think was more than a puppy and headed back up to the mansion.
Jim brought the horse back to the stables and one of the hands took the horse for him. Jim showed him the sick dog and the man shook his head. The dog was very sick and he hoped that it would be all right.
As Jim opened the door to the house, he was met by Miss Trask. She was a good friend of his and had a very kind heart. Once again both his mother and father were out of town and she was like a mother to Honey and him. The cook said "My goodness" and then went and got some blankets for the poor dog.
The dog had no collar or license and Miss Trask thought that they should bring the dog to the vets. She called the vet for Jim and they told her to bring the dog in as soon as they could.
By this time Honey had come into the kitchen looking for some breakfast. She looked over and saw Jim and Miss Trask bent over looking at something. She walked over and saw the saddest looking dog she had ever seen. The dog looked as though it had been out in the cold for days. As they gave the dog something to eat, he acted as though he hadn't eaten for weeks. They felt sorry for him.
Miss Trask and Jim got ready to go to the vet. They got out the cage that Jim used for Patch and put the dog in it. The vet was a local vet and the ride was just a ten minute ride. The dog seemed nervous, but got into the cage with some coaxing.
As they approached the vet's office Jim got worried. He hoped that the vet could help the poor dog. But, he was so skinny and he had been out in the cold for a while. He could clearly see that he was in distress.
As Miss Trask and Jim entered the vet's office the nurse looked over. She couldn't believe the condition that the dog was in. She knew the Wheeler family well and was glad that Jim had found the dog when he did. The dog's fur was all matted and his eyes were running. He was obviously very weak and skinny. She took the dog and brought him right into the examination room.
The vet came in soon and took one look at the dog and shuttered. The dog was in extreme distress and needed her care immediately. She gave him a thorough examination and then took a look at Jim and Miss Trask.
"I am sorry, but this dog is very sick. He is around seven years old and is a cocker spaniel. He now weighs just a little over fourteen pounds and he should weigh around twenty pounds. I have drawn some blood, but I am sure he is anemic. I would like to keep him for a couple of days and give him some fluids . He has signs that he was a healthy dog at one time, though. He was someone's pet. What I will do is put out the word that I have found the dog and see if someone is out there looking for him."
Jim and Miss Trask realized what the vet said was right. The dog needed to be kept there so that the vet could keep an eye on him. Jim pet the dog that was attempting to wag his tail and said "Please call as soon as you hear anything. When he is ready to leave here we can take him and then try to find him a good home." he told her.
Miss Trask thought about saying something. She knew that the Wheelers wouldn't want another dog. But this was an emergency and they wouldn't want the dog left alone in the cold either. The vet took all their information and with that the two of them left for home alone.
Honey had been home anxiously waiting for Jim and Miss Trask to come home. She had called her friend Trixie and told her about the dog. As Honey watched out of her bedroom window she saw the car with her brother and Miss Trask in it coming up the driveway. She ran down to the car and was surprised not to see the dog. She looked at her brother and Miss Trask with questioning eyes.
As Jim and Miss Trask walked up to the house with Honey they told her what the vet had said. The dog would be coming home in a few days. But they now needed to find out who was the dog's owner. They had a new mystery and would need their friends from the Bob[Whites of the Glen to help them once again. Jim was going to call an emergency meeting at the clubhouse for three that afternoon.
Honey went upstairs and called everyone and told them what had happened. Everyone was going to be able to meet them at the clubhouse at three, so she went down to get something for a late lunch. At quarter of three Jim and Honey headed out to the clubhouse to wait for their friends. To their surprise though, everyone was already there.