ttack human beings that animated the animals as
the keen sense of smell telling them that provisions were to be found
back in that rustic shack.

Max waited until the big leader was almost upon them before he started
to use his automatic. Indeed, one of the girls in the tree, gasped his
name in terror, under the impression that Max may have been so
petrified with astonishment at sight of the size of the mastiff that he
could not pull the trigger of his weapon.

But it was not so, and Steve, who was alongside, knew it full well,
because he could hear Max saying steadily all the while:

"Hold firm, boys; don't get rattled! I've got that big thief potted!
Steady now, everybody; and hit the line _hard_!"

That was the encouraging way Max used to call out to his players on the
high school eleven when they were fighting for victory on the gridiron
with a rival school. It did much to nerve those who heard; and Steve
especially needed some such caution to keep him from springing to meet
the coming attack halfway.

Then there sounded a peculiar snapping report. It was the automatic
doing its duty. Firm was the hand that gripped the little weapon, and
unflinching the eye back of the same.

A shriek from the tree told that the girls were watching every move in
the exciting game that was being played. The mastiff was seen to stop
in his headlong rush, and roll over in a heap; then he struggled to his
feet again, only to have another flash directed into his eyes; and this
time Max must have made sure work of it, because the huge animal did
not attempt to rise again.

Meanwhile the rest of the pack had continued its forward progress, and
as those waiting clubs began to swing and play there was a confused
exchange of shouts, yaps and yelps that must have filled a listener's
heart with wonder, providing he did not know the meaning of the fracas.

Deprived of the dominating spirit of their leader, and met with such a
furious bombardment at the hands of the four boys, the balance of the
pack could not hold out long. Their hunger did not seem to be equal to
their fear of those clubs striking with such tremendous vim that in
many cases the victim was hurled completely over. The attack became
weaker and weaker; first one animal went howling away completely cowed,
and then another took flight, until presently the bulldog was the only
one left.

He had managed to seize Toby's club and was holding on with a death
grip, strai