it, 'to beat the band.'

The others continued the pursuit of Jock, while the brakeman tried to
coax the dog down. But Collie was there for a purpose, and not until
Jock returned would he leave his post. His master's smiling face and
hearty voice gave assurance that all was well, and then Collie fairly
hurled himself upon Jock, licked his face and gave frantic yelps of
delight.

An extempore breakdown gang cleared the track, and the great trains
thundered away to Atlantic and Pacific--saved by a dog!

[Illustration: "There, still on the boulder, was Collie, barking."]

[Illustration: "The third time he collapsed, and was pulled back."]

ROUND THE CAMP-FIRE.

By HAROLD ERICSON.

VIII.--THE MAN AT THE WHEEL.

'Have either of you fellows ever been in the middle of a fire at sea?'
asked Vandeleur one evening, when informed that it was his turn to spin
a yarn for the benefit of the rest. 'If not, I advise you to keep as far
away from such a thing as you can. My own experience is only, so to
speak, on a small scale; that is, I was only, at the time, upon a short
journey across a lake in a small Japanese steamer--a voyage of about
sixty miles--but I can assure you I was never more frightened in my
life. One feels so utterly helpless when apparently at the mercy of the
most pitiless of the elements, far from shore, and--for all one can
see--confronted by the necessity to choose one of two kinds of death, if
one is more terrible than the other--drowning or burning.

'Am I right in believing that you succeeded in cheating both the fire
and the water, perhaps out of deference to the hangman?' asked Bobby,
'or am I speaking to a somewhat solid ghost?'

'Escaped, I believe.' replied Vandeleur, 'in order that I might try to
teach manners to a certain ruffian of the name of Robert Oakfield.'

With the words, Vandeleur fell suddenly upon Bobby, and quickly
upsetting him, rubbed his nose in the soft moss. There was a short,
sharp struggle, and Vandeleur returned to his seat.

'I have not yet succeeded in my object,' continued Vandeleur, 'but I
hope for the best.'

* * * * *

We had gone about half-way to our destination--town called Shukisama, on
the other side of the lake--when it was suddenly discovered that our
little steamer, the _Toki Maru_, was on fire. With very little warning,
flames sprang up from the hold--no one ever discovered how the fire
began--and almost in an instant