d, scowling and fuming over his undignified
position, while Towser still kept an eye open for business.

"Call this dog off!" Fred ordered again.

"How did the dog happen to catch you here?" Dick asked quietly.

"Call this dog off and I'll tell you," snapped Fred. "I was trying
to do you fellows a good turn, but the dog had to interfere and
get hold of the wrong party."

"You were trying to do us a good turn?" gasped Dick wonderingly.

"Yes---but it will be the last time, unless you call this dog
off," snarled young Ripley.

Perhaps it is hardly necessary to say that not one in the party
believed Fred's extraordinary story.

"Hazelton, get this dog of yours away, or I'll go to court and
secure an order to have the beast shot!" snapped young Ripley.

But at this moment another voice was heard calling from the roadway:

"Fred! Fred! Are you there?"

It was Squire Ripley's voice, though the lawyer himself could
not be seen as yet.

"Yes, sir; your son is here," Dick answered. "Come and see just
how he is here!"

"Get your dog off quickly, Hazelton!" urged Fred.

But Harry, at a slight sign from Dick, didn't stir or open his
mouth to call off his dog.

Through the brush came the sound of hurried steps. Then Lawyer
Ripley stepped into the group.

"Fred, what on earth does this mean?" demanded the lawyer, staring
hard.

"That's just what we thought you might like to find out, sir,"
Dick replied. "We've been away from camp all day, and just came
back to this scene, Mr. Ripley. You are something of an expert
in the matter of evidence, sir. Will you kindly tell us what
you make out of this? There is our tent cut down. There are
all of our food supplies in a pile, except what you see scattered
about on the ground. Your son appears to have been headed for
the lake when our dog overtook him and pinned him down. As a
lawyer, Mr. Ripley, what would you conclude from the evidence
thus presented?"

"Call that dog away!" ordered Mr. Ripley.

"Willingly, sir," Dick agreed, "now that you have had opportunity
to look into all the evidence that we found. Harry, will you do
the honors?"

Smiling slightly, Hazelton stepped forward to speak to Towser.
That four-footed guardian of the camp displayed some resentment
at first over the idea of letting go of Fred's shirt. After a
little, however, Hazelton succeeded in getting his dog away and
tied to a tree.

Fred rose to his feet, his face fiery red whil