aken there," said Bessie, as she dropped beside him; "I'm
not at all afraid of dogs when they're natural; and besides, I know
this fine fellow quite well. He belongs to a neighbor of my uncle, and
he used to come to me as though he rather liked me; didn't you, Bose?"

At mention of his name the ferocious looking bulldog with the bowed
legs actually wagged his crooked stub of a tail, and gave the girl a
look. As he was now through feeding, and seemed to be in a contented
frame of mind, Bessie continued to talk to him in a wheedling way; and
presently was able to slip a hand upon his head, though it gave Steve a
cold chill to see her do it.

Max had meanwhile dragged the other dog out of sight in the bushes,
though Toby had to help him, such was the size of the wretched mastiff
that had been brought to a bad end through his hunger, and a
determination to raid the camp of the flood fugitives.

The balance of the pack had apparently been taught a severe lesson, and
would not return again. Their barking continued to be heard at
intervals throughout the night, but always at a considerable distance.

As it was so very uncomfortable up in the tree, and the bulldog seemed
to have made up his mind to be friendly with those who had kindly
attended to his wants, Mazie, the lame girl, and Mrs. Jacobus finally
consented to be helped down. They kept suspicious eyes on the
four-legged visitor however, and insisted that Bose be rigorously
excluded from the rustic shelter under which they soon purposed seeking
their rest.

Max finally managed to rig up a collar, which was attached to the rope,
and Bessie secured this around the dog's neck, after which Bose was
anchored to another tree.

He must have been accustomed to this sort of treatment, for he speedily
lay down and went to sleep, as though satisfied to stay with these new
friends. Floods as well as politics, often make strange bed-fellows.

Having brought his party safely through this crisis Max was again
busying himself making plane looking toward their future. He knew that
the country was so disturbed by the inundation of the river, with its
consequent damage to many homes, that they must depend to a great
extent on their own efforts in order to reach Carson again. Still it
seemed necessary in the start that one of their number should start out
to seek help in the way of some conveyance by means of which the girls
and Mrs. Jacobus might be taken to Carson, because he