Indeed, wild as the spot was, there was little likelihood of anybody troubling the young people, for they had Reno along. This faithful creature watched over the trio most jealously and, as they were eating on the grass, he found some sudden reason to become excited. He rose up, stiffening his back, the hair rising on his neck, and a low growl issuing from his throat. The girls were a little startled, but Tom sprang up, motioned to Helen and Ruth to keep still, and ran to the angry mastiff.
"What's the matter with you, Reno?" demanded Tom, softly, but putting a restraining hand upon his collar.
Reno lurched forward, and Tom gripped the collar tightly as he was dragged directly toward a thick dump of shrubbery not many yards away.
CHAPTER XXIV
THE INITIALS
There was no sound that Tom Cameron or the girls could hear from the shrubbery; but Reno evidently knew that somebody was lurking there. And by the dog's actions Tom thought it must be somebody whom Reno disliked.
"Oh, don't leave us, Tom!" begged Helen, running behind her brother and the mastiff.
"Come on—both of you!" muttered Tom. "We'll see what this means. Stick close to me."
He had picked up a stout club; but it was in the huge and intelligent mastiff that they all put their confidence. The dog, although he snuffed now and then as though the scent that had first disturbed him still came down the wind, had ceased to growl.
They came to a path in the thicket and followed it for a few yards only, when Reno stopped and stiffened again.