on his back, kicking his last."

"I'd shot a second creature meanwhile," said Bluff; "and then the
other two were on us. Whew! but we did have a warm session of it about
that time, let me tell you, fellows! It was at close quarters, so I
couldn't use my gun again to shoot; but we swung the weapons around
our heads as though they were clubs."

"I made a lucky crack," declared Sandy, "and bowled the smaller cur
over, but he was up like a flash and at me again, scratching and
biting like a mad wolf. I never would have believed family pets could
go back to the wild state again like that if I hadn't seen it with my
own eyes."

"I suppose the big beast tackled you then, did he, Bluff?" asked
Jack.

"You just b-b-bet he did!" exclaimed the other, excitedly. "And
s-s-say, I had all I could do to k-k-keep him from knocking me over
in a h-h-heap. Lots of t-t-times I cracked him with the b-b-butt of my
rifle, and staggered him, but he only c-came at me again full tilt.
Oh! but we had a g-g-glorious time of it I tell you!"

"And how did it end?" queried Jud. "Since we find you two here
right-side-up-with-care we must believe that in the final wind-up you
got the better of your canine enemies."

"C-c-canine d-d-don't seem to fit the c-c-crime this time, Jud,"
expostulated Bluff. "It sounds so mild. Well, we lathered 'em right
and left, and took quite a number of s-s-scratches in return. B-b-both
of us were getting pretty well winded, and I was b-b-beginning to be
afraid of the outcome, when all at once I remembered that I had other
b-b-bullets in my gun."

"Wise old head, that of yours, Bluff," commented Jud, with a touch of
satire in his voice. "Better late than never I should say. Well, what
did you do then?"

"Next chance I got I managed to turn my gun around and grip the
stock," and as he said this Bluff reached over to pick up his
repeating rifle to exhibit the dents, as well as the half dried blood
spots on the walnut shoulder piece, all of which went to prove the
truth of his story as words never could have done.

"That was the end of Mr. Mastiff then, eh?" continued Jud.

"Oh, well! I hated to do it," Bluff told them, "for he was a beaut of
a beast, so strong and handsome; but then those shining teeth looked
pretty ugly to me, and he was wild to get them at my throat, so there
wasn't really any choice."

"I should say not!" declared Phil Towns, shuddering at the picture
Bluff was drawing of the spirited encoun