t
fire, and stood looking wistfully upon the bacon lying before him.

"Hungry, old boy, eh?" asked Keith. "You look as if you had eaten
nothing for a month. Well, then, here's a piece of bacon and bread.
To-morrow I'll try to snip a rabbit for you."

The ravenous beast seized eagerly the precious morsels, devoured them
with a gulp or two, and looked longingly for more.

"Can't do it, doggie," said Keith, noticing the animal's beseeching
eyes, "I've only a little left, and a hard trail lies ahead."

Then something around the dog's neck arrested his attention. It was a
small object fastened to a rude collar. What could it be?

"Come here, laddie," he called, "and let me see what you've got there."

The cur, however, kept at a safe distance, but showed a degree of
friendliness by short jerks of his tail.

"Perhaps a piece of bacon will bring him," and Keith held a portion
temptingly before his view.

The dog pricked up his ears, advanced, drew back, and looked around.
Then, squatting down upon his haunches, he lifted his nose into the air
and gave vent to a most doleful howl.

"Come on, old boy," encouraged Keith, still holding the bacon between
his fingers.

Little by little the dog approached, and with much coaxing was induced
to draw near, and after a time nestled by the man's side, where he
quickly devoured the coveted morsel of food.

"Now, let's see what you've got here," and Keith examined the object
attached to the collar.

It was a piece of brown paper, old and soiled, and evidently it had
seen hard usage. It was carefully folded, and tied with twine made up
of several short pieces. With the point of his hunting knife, Keith
cut the string, and when he had opened the paper he beheld a number of
words, scrawled with some red material, which looked much like blood.
By the flickering camp fire he managed with difficulty to decipher the
following startling message:

"For God's sake, help. I'm dying."

That was all, and for some time Keith held the paper in his hand and
gazed steadily into the fire.

"Strange," he mused. "Where could the animal have come from? I did
not know there was a white man near. But it must be some poor wretch
who has been stranded in this desolate region. Let me see. That dog
could not have travelled far in his present miserable condition. I
believe I could track him, and perhaps find his master either dead or
alive. But then that would mean great delay, and I h