Though the sounds drew nearer, the dogs were concealed from view in the woods of the mainland by a bend of the island.
At last there arose such a clamor that Merriwell entered the canoe and paddled quickly round the point in the direction of the sound.
He came on a sight that thrilled him. A large buck, with a finely-antlered head, had taken to the water to escape the hounds, and was swimming across an arm of the bay, with the dogs in close pursuit. Only the heads of the dogs were visible above the water, but he saw that they were large and powerful animals.
At almost the same moment Merriwell beheld John Caribou rush down the opposite shore and leap into a canoe—the other canoe belonging to the camping party.
“What can Caribou have been doing over on the mainland?” thought Frank. “Oh, yes; probably looking for another camping place, for we were talking about changing last night.”
Caribou cried out to the hounds, trying to turn them from their prey; and, failing in this, he pushed out in the canoe and paddled with all speed toward the buck.
The hounds had overtaken it, and it had turned at bay, having found a shallow place where it could get a footing.
The largest hound swam round and round it, avoiding its lowered head; then tried to fasten on its flanks.
The buck shook it off, and waded to where the water was still shallower, in toward the shore.
The dogs followed, circling round and round.