ure.

On one of these pleasant outposts was the college camp; and half a dozen
pretty girl graduates, in "middies" and khaki skirts, came down to meet
Dan. One of them led a big, tawny dog, who made a sudden break for the
boat, nearly overturning Freddy in his leap, and crouching by Dan's side,
whining and shivering.

"Oh, he's yours! We said he was yours!" went up the girlish chorus. "Then
take him away, please. And don't let him come back; for he howled all
night, and nearly set us crazy. Nellie Morris says dogs never howl that
way unless somebody is dead or dying; and she left her mother sick, and is
almost frantic. Please take him away, and don't ever bring him near us
again!"

"But--but he isn't mine at all," replied Dan, staring at the big dog, who,
shivering and wretched as he seemed, awoke some vague memory.

"Then whose is he?" asked a pretty spokesman, severely. "He could not have
dropped from the clouds, and yours was the only boat that came here
yesterday."

"Oh, I know,--I know, Dan!" broke in Freddy, eagerly. "He belongs to that
big man who came with us on the steamboat. He had two dogs in leashes, and
this is one of them, I know, because I saw his brown spot on his head when
I gave him a cracker."

"Mr. Wirt?" Dan's vague memory leaped into vivid light: Mr. John Wirt's
big, tawny dog indeed, who perhaps, with some dim dog-sense, remembered
Freddy. "I do know him now," said Dan. "He belongs to a gentleman named
Wirt--"

"Well, take him where he belongs," interrupted the young lady. "We don't
care where it is. We simply can't have him howling here."

"Oh, take him, Dan!" said Freddy. "Let us take him home with us."

"Mr. Wirt must be around somewhere," reflected Dan. "He said perhaps he
would come to Killykinick. We'll take him," he agreed cheerfully, as he
handed out his basket of fish to the pretty, young campers. "And I think
his master will come along to look him up."

And the boys started on their homeward way, with Rex (which was the name
on their new companion's collar) seated between them, still restless and
quivering, in spite of all Freddy's efforts to make friends.

"He wasn't this way on the boat," said Freddy as, after all his stroking
and soothing, Rex only lifted his head and emitted a long, mournful howl.
"I went down on the lower deck where the big man had left his dogs, and
they played with me fine,--shook paws and wagged their tails and were real
nice."

"I guess he knows h