lly apart from him.

"Amazin' wise, that animal is," said Gideon, taking the bridle of the
tired pony, and watching Kiddie leap to the saddle of the fresh one.
"Built same's a racehorse, she is. Them long legs of hers, they'd
cover a heap o' ground, eh? What kinder work did she do in her own
country, Kiddie? Huntin'?"

"Yes, deer hunting," Kiddie answered. "She could race any
stag--outdistance any horse. Has a pedigree as long's your arm, Gid.
She's quite an aristocrat."

"Splendidest dog I ever see in my life," commented Rube, patting the
hound's shaggy head. He seized her collar and held her in a firm grip
while Kiddie started. She strained against him as her master went
farther and farther away.

Rider and pony were quickly out of sight in a fold of the trail, but
again they appeared on the farther rise. Sheila pulled harder now, but
Rube dug his heels in the ground, and dragged her back.

"No, you ain't goin' ter foller him," he protested.

But with a sudden strong wrench the hound broke away, and bounded off
along the trail, sending Rube flying backward into the bushes. Rube
scrambled to his feet.

"Look! look, Boss!" he cried, excitedly. "Gee! did y'ever see a
critter run like that? My! jus' look! Kiddie may well say she c'd
outdistance any hoss. D'you reckon a railroad train c'd go faster'n
that, Gideon!"

"Dunno," said Gideon, watching the animal racing at full stretch
through a cloud of dust. "I ain't just certain 'bout that railroad
train; but I sure never seen a critter go along quicker'n that hound's
goin' now. Why, she'll overtake Kiddie inside of half an hour, for all
his long start of her!"

Kiddie, indeed, had not gone half a dozen miles before the deerhound
was galloping at his pony's heels. The pony's ears were twitching
nervously, and there was a change in the measure of its headlong
stride. Kiddie felt instinctively that he was being closely followed,
yet there were no hungry wolves about at this time of year.

An impatient yelping bark reached him. He glanced round over his
shoulder. The dog soon came level with him.

"Go back--back, Sheila!" he called.

But Sheila only slackened her pace, and dropped behind, where he could
neither see nor hear her.

At a bend in the trail, where it entered a deep gully, overshadowed by
trees, Kiddie looked round to assure himself that the hound had obeyed
him. To his surprise he saw her still following him closely. He drew
re