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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
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