Lion was already eager for the chase; and Jack had only to give him a
signal.

"Take care of him, Lion!" And away sped the dog.

Fleet of foot as the fellow was, and though he now strained every nerve
to get away, the distance between him and the dog rapidly diminished;
and a hurried glance behind showed him the swift, black, powerful
animal, coming with terrible bounds, and never a bark, hard at his
heels.

The thickets were near,--could he reach them before the dog reached him?
Would they afford him a refuge or a cudgel? He threw out his quid, and
_leaned_.

Jack drove after as fast as he could, in order to prevent mortal
mischief when Lion should bring down his game; for the dog, when too
much in earnest with a foe, had an overmastering instinct for searching
out the windpipe and jugular vein.

The rogue had reached the edge of the woods, when he found himself so
closely pursued that he seemed to have no resource but to turn and dash
his coat into the dog's face. That gave him an instant's reprieve; then
Lion was upon him again; and he had just time to leap to the low limb of
a scraggy oak-tree, and swing his lower limbs free from the ground, when
the fierce eyes and red tongue were upon the spot.

Lion gave one leap, but missed his mark; the trap-like jaws snapping
together with a sound which could not have been very agreeable to the
youth whose dangling legs had been actually grazed by the passing
muzzle.

With a wistful, whining yelp, Lion gave another upward spring; and this
time his fangs closed upon something--only cloth, fortunately; but as
the thief clambered up out of their range, it was with a very good
chance for a future patch upon the leg of his trousers.

Leaping from his wagon, Jack rushed to the tree, and found his obliging
young man perched comfortably in it, with one leg over a limb; while
Lion, below, made up for his long silence by uttering frantic barks.

[Illustration: THE END OF THE CHASE.]

"What are you up there for?" said Jack.

"To take an observation," the fellow replied, out of breath, but still
cheerful. "First-rate view of the country up here. I fancy I see a doe
and a fawn off on the prairie; wouldn't you like a shot at 'em?"

"I've other game to look after just now!" Jack replied.

"Better look out for your horse; he's running away!"

"My horse isn't in the habit of running away without help. Will you come
down?"

"I was just going to invite you to come up. I'll sh