t was just before dawn when
the screams woke me."

"The dog again?" I asked, with a curious sinking of the heart.

"Got right into the tent," he went on, speaking passionately but very
low, "and woke my wife by scrambling all over her. Then she realised
that Joan was struggling beside her. And, by God! the beast had torn her
arm; scratched all down the arm she was, and bleeding."

"Joan injured?" I gasped.

"Merely scratched--this time," put in John Silence, speaking for the
first time; "suffering more from shock and fright than actual wounds."

"Isn't it a mercy the doctor was here?" said Mrs. Maloney, looking as if
she would never know calmness again. "I think we should both have been
killed."

"It has been a most merciful escape," Maloney said, his pulpit voice
struggling with his emotion. "But, of course, we cannot risk another--we
must strike Camp and get away at once--"

"Only poor Mr. Sangree must not know what has happened. He is so
attached to Joan and would be so terribly upset," added the Bo'sun's
Mate distractedly, looking all about in her terror.

"It is perhaps advisable that Mr. Sangree should not know what has
occurred," Dr. Silence said with quiet authority, "but I think, for the
safety of all concerned, it will be better not to leave the island just
now." He spoke with great decision and Maloney looked up and followed
his words closely.

"If you will agree to stay here a few days longer, I have no doubt we
can put an end to the attentions of your strange visitor, and
incidentally have the opportunity of observing a most singular and
interesting phenomenon--"

"What!" gasped Mrs. Maloney, "a phenomenon?--you mean that you know what
it is?"

"I am quite certain I know what it is," he replied very low, for we
heard the footsteps of Sangree approaching, "though I am not so certain
yet as to the best means of dealing with it. But in any case it is not
wise to leave precipitately--"

"Oh, Timothy, does he think it's a devil--?" cried the Bo'sun's Mate in
a voice that even the Canadian must have heard.

"In my opinion," continued John Silence, looking across at me and the
clergyman, "it is a case of modern lycanthropy with other complications
that may--" He left the sentence unfinished, for Mrs. Maloney got up
with a jump and fled to her tent fearful she might hear a worse thing,
and at that moment Sangree turned the corner of the stockade and came
into view.

"There are footmarks all round