With an exclamation of anger, Oscar sprang down from his log and ran through the woods in the direction from which the report sounded.
When he had gone about a hundred yards, he saw Bugle coming to meet him. The animal seemed to be greatly excited, for he bayed loudly, and now and then he would stop and shake his head violently, or sit down and scratch his ears.
Discovering his master, he ran up to him, laid his chin in his outstretched hand, at the same time whining piteously, and calling attention to his injuries by rubbing his paw over his head.
"I didn't suppose you had an enemy in the world, old fellow," said Oscar, trembling all over with indignation. "I know who did it. It was those two river boys who destroyed Leon's snares. Now we'll have a settlement with them, if we can find them. Why, Bugle, you are more scared than hurt after all."
While he was speaking, Oscar made a hurried examination of his favorite's wounds, and to his great delight discovered that but two shot had struck him, and they had passed through one of his huge ears without touching his body at all.
Leon had not done as good shooting that morning as he usually did. No doubt he was in a great hurry to have it over with, and became nervous when he thought of the consequences that might follow his rash act, or else the hound moved a little out of range just an instant before he pulled the trigger.
At any rate the shot was not as effective as Leon meant it should be; but the wounded member bled profusely, and his master's indignation increased while he looked at it.
Having satisfied himself that the hound was not seriously injured, Oscar shouldered his gun again and set out at the top of his speed to overtake the bushwhackers.
A few minutes' run brought him to the thicket in which Leon's snares were placed, and there he stopped, dropped the butt of his gun to the ground, and finally walked over and seated himself on the very log on which Leon and his cousin had been sitting a short time before.
He had different opinions now regarding the identity of the bushwhackers. It was plain enough to him that the river boys had nothing to do with the shooting. Here were Leon's snares—which had been completely destroyed the day before—all in order, and ready to catch the first thing that came within their reach.