`` Who is hurt ? '' asked Mrs. Moss , running out with floury hands uplifted in alarm . `` Is it a bear ? '' cried Bab , rushing after her , beater in hand , for a dancing bear was the delight of her heart . `` Sancho 's found ! Sancho 's found ! '' shouted Thorny , throwing up his hat like a lunatic . `` Found , found , found ! '' echoed Betty , dancing wildly about as if she too had lost her little wits . `` Where ? how ? when ? who did it ? '' asked Mrs. Moss , clapping her dusty hands delightedly . `` It is n't ; it 's an old dirty brown thing , '' stammered Bab , as the dog came uppermost for a minute , and then rooted into Ben 's jacket as if he smelt a woodchuck , and was bound to have him out directly . Then Thorny , with many interruptions from Betty , poured forth the wondrous tale , to which Bab and his mother listened breathlessly , while the muffins burned as black as a coal , and nobody cared a bit . `` My precious lamb , how did you dare to do such a thing ? '' exclaimed Mrs. Moss , hugging the small heroine with mingled admiration and alarm . `` I 'd have dared , and slapped those horrid boys , too . I wish I 'd gone ! ''
and Bab felt that she had for ever XXXXX the chance of distinguishing herself .
's asked found gone hugging listened lost rooted stammered uplifted