ack by eight o'clock, or just in time for dinner; for Van
Bibber said he wouldn't miss his dinner for all the dogs in the two
hemispheres, unless the dogs happened to be his own.

Van Bibber put on his great-coat and told the man to bring around the
dog-cart; then he filled his pockets with cigars and placed a flask of
brandy under the seat, and wrapped the robes around his knees.

"I feel just like a relief expedition to the North Pole. I think I
ought to have some lieutenants," he suggested.

"Well," cried one of the men, "suppose we make a pool and each chip in
fifty dollars, and the man who brings the dog back in time gets the
whole of it?"

"That bet of mine stands, doesn't it?" asked Van Bibber.

The men said it did, and went off to put on their riding things, and
four horses were saddled and brought around from the stable. Each of
the four explorers was furnished with a long rope to tie to Duncan's
collar, and with which he was to be led back if they found him. They
were cheered ironically by the maidens they had deserted on compulsion,
and were smiled upon severally by Miss Arnett. Then they separated and
took different roads. It was snowing gently, and was very cold. Van
Bibber drove aimlessly ahead, looking to the right and left and
scanning each back yard and side street. Every now and then he hailed
some passing farm wagon and asked the driver if he had seen a stray
collie dog, but the answer was invariably in the negative. He soon
left the village in the rear, and plunged out over the downs. The wind
was bitter cold, and swept from the water with a chill that cut through
his clothes.

"Oh, this is great," said Van Bibber to the patient horse in front of
him; "this IS sport, this is. The next time I come to this part of the
world I'll be dragged here with a rope. Nice, hospitable people those
Arnetts, aren't they? Ask you to make yourself at home chasing dogs
over an ice fjord. Don't know when I've enjoyed myself so much." Every
now and then he stood up and looked all over the hills and valleys to
see if he could not distinguish a black object running over the white
surface of the snow, but he saw nothing like a dog, not even the track
of one.

Twice he came across one of the other men, shivering and swearing from
his saddle, and with teeth chattering. "Well," said one of them,
shuddering, "you haven't found that dog yet, I see."

"No," said Van Bibber. "Oh, no. I've given up looking