The sight before them had so taken up their attention that for the moment Scruff’s pursuit of the other two had been forgotten; but now it was brought vividly back to mind by a dull thump at the door, and the scratching of claws, and as the door yielded, the great dog forced its way in, with his red tongue lolling out, and panting loudly with his exertions.
The effect was magical. The man upon the couch could not have seen or heard the dog, but he seemed to divine the great animal’s presence, and springing up again from where he cowered, he began to shriek again horribly.
“The dog—the dog!” he yelled—“tearing me to pieces! Mad—mad! Shoot—shoot, I say!”
But attention was taken from him to the action of the dog.
As soon as the ghastly, distorted face in the corner rose, and the shrieks began to fill the hut, the dog paused by the door, with the thick hair about his neck bristling up till the animal looked double his former size, and a low, muttering, thunderous growl came from his grinning jaws.
The next moment he would have sprung at the wretched man, but Dallas grasped the position and was too quick for him. In an instant he had sprung across the dog’s back, nipped him between his knees, and buried his hands in the thick hair of his neck.
“Quick, Bel, or he will tear him to pieces!” cried Dallas. “The door—the door! Here, Bob, help; I can’t hold him. Strong as a horse.”
Abel flew to drag open the door, Tregelly seized the dog by his tail; there was a furious scratching and barking, a rush out, a swing round of two powerful arms, and the door was banged to again, and fastened; but only just in time, Scruff’s head coming at it with a loud thud, and his claws rattling and scratching on the wood, as he barked and growled savagely.
“Lie down, sir!” roared Dallas. “How dare you! Lie down.”
There was a loud barking at this, but there were sounds as if of protest mingled with it, and finally the dog subsided into a howl, and dropped down by the door to wait, a low, shuffling, panting sound coming through the crack at the bottom.