chest heaved
like a billow with his labored respiration, but the regular breathing of
the being that awed him was like that of a sleeping child. For full five
minutes--but it seemed an age--this silent but terrible duel was being
fought, and yet no succor came. Beverly and those who came with him must
have changed their course to pursue the fleeing Rawbon.

"Lead her out softly, Harold," murmured Arthur, without changing a
muscle or altering his gaze. But the agony of suspense had been too
great--Oriana, with a convulsive shudder, swooned and hung like a corpse
upon Harold's arm.

"Oh, God! she is dying, Arthur!" he could not help exclaiming, for it
was indeed a counterpart of death that he held in his embrace.

Then only did Arthur falter for an instant, and the hound was at his
throat. The powerful jaws closed with a snap upon his shoulder, and you
might have heard the sharp fangs grate against the bone. The shock of
the spring brought Arthur to the ground, and man and brute rolled over
together, and struggled in the mud and gore. Harold bore the lifeless
girl out into the air, and returning, closed the door. He seized a
brand, and with both hands levelled a fierce blow at the dog's neck. The
stick shivered like glass, but the creature only shook his grisly head,
but never quit his hold. With his bare hand he seized the live coals
from the thickest of the fire and pressed them against the flanks and
stomach of the tenacious animal; the brute howled and quivered in every
limb, but still the blood-stained fangs were firmly set into the
lacerated flesh. With both hands clasped around the monster's throat, he
exerted his strength till the finger-bones seemed to crack. He could
feel the pulsations of the dog's heart grow fainter and slower, and
could see in his rolling and upheaved eyeballs that the death-pang was
upon him; but those iron jaws still were locked in the torn shoulder;
and as Harold beheld the big drops start from his friend's ashy brow,
and his eyes filming with the leaden hue of unconsciousness, the
agonizing thought came to him that the dog and the man were dying
together in that terrible embrace.

It was then that he fairly sobbed with the sensation of relief, as he
heard the prancing of steeds close by the cabin-door; and Beverly,
entering hastily, with a cry of horror, stood one moment aghast as he
looked on the frightful scene. Then, with repeated shots from his
revolver, he scattered the dog's bra