“I don’t think so, but you can try it,” answered the young major.
The stick was cut and Andy let himself down to a lower limb. He hit one of the dogs just once. Then the animal made a leap, caught hold of the stick, and had not Andy let go he would have been jerked to the ground. As it was he swung clear around the limb and only his acrobatic skill saved him.
“Don’t you try that again,” warned Pepper.
“Don’t think I will. Gosh! he almost had me; didn’t he?”
The dogs made themselves at home under the tree, lying down, but keeping their eyes fixed on the prisoners. The moment one of the lads moved there would be a growl from below.
“They’d make good camp guards, if they were trained,” said Pepper, with a sorry kind of a grin.
“This is no laughing matter,” expostulated Jack.
“Don’t think I’m laughing. I’d give a week’s spending money to be out of this right now.”
“Ditto here,” said Andy.
A half-hour went by and still the dogs remained at the foot of the tree. Occasionally one would walk around a bit and growl, but that was all. The boys tried everything they could think of to chase the brutes away, but without avail.