hat
might draw forth exclamations of delight; and as for snapping off a
picture, why, Jack had slung his camera back of his shoulder with a
final air that told he had put such an idea completely out of his head.

As the minutes passed and they heard no further indications of the dog's
presence near by, they concluded that he must have gone back to his day
dreams. Steve found himself more than ever puzzled by the actions of his
companion. He wished harder than before that Jack would lift the veil a
little, and tell him what it all meant, who that man might be, and what
he was doing up there among the hills that would bear watching.

It began to get real exciting once, when Jack suddenly ducked and pulled
Steve down with him, as though he had glimpsed something suspicious.
Valiant Steve gripped his club with a firmer clutch, took a big breath,
and awaited the coming of the savage dog; for he believed nothing less
than this was about to confront them.

Jack raised his head so that he might see above the bushes behind which
they chanced to be crouching. Then he gave a low chuckle as of
amusement.

"False alarm after all, Steve!" he whispered. "See, it was only a red
fox scuttling away, with his big brush dangling behind him. He was just
waking up after his afternoon nap, and wondering where he could get a
fat partridge for his supper when our coming disturbed him. I just
caught a glimpse of something moving, and on the spur of the moment of
course could think only of the dog."

Steve breathed freely again. He also knocked on the ground a bit
savagely with that elegant club of his.

"Well, I'm just as well pleased, Jack," he remarked, "though I had it
made up to give the brute all that was coming to him. Once let me get a
fair crack at him with this stick, and he'll go daffy, I warrant you.
I'll put all the vim into the blow that stands for a home-run hit on the
diamond. But remember, I don't like dog, and I'm not aching for a chance
to make the try."

So again they started along, still heading straight toward the region
out of which had come that tell-tale barking. They had come to a still
wilder section of country by now. The land was cut up by little ridges
and gullies and walking proved more tiresome. Jack appeared to notice
this fact, as though it might have a certain significance in his eyes.
To Steve, however, it only meant that there must be more chances of game
holding forth amidst these dark and gloomy depr