No, Clay had not once thought of the coffee and potatoes, he had been so busy watching Case and thinking of what might be taking place in the forest.
He hastened to the cabin, built up a great fire in the heater, set a kettle of potatoes over, switched on the electric stove, put the coffee-pot on, and then turned to the little table.
Captain Joe, who had been asleep when Alex left, which accounted for his being there at all, lay on the floor playing with Teddy. The two had already become firm friends.
The sight of the dog brought a notion to Clay’s mind. Why not send Captain Joe into the forest to look the boys up? He would do it, if told to, and would be sure to come back if he failed to find them.
“Here, Captain Joe,” the boy said, “don’t you want to go and find Alex? Put on your hunting shoes and go find Alex.”
Captain Joe sprang to his feet instantly, tumbling Teddy over in a heap as he did so and, advancing the deck railing, looked over to the woods. Clay took one of Alex’s shoes and one of Gran’s handkerchiefs into his hands and let Captain Joe sniff at them.
“Now you know whom to look after,” he grinned at the intelligent dog, “and won’t go loafing around Case, even if he is cooking supper.”
Clay got the dog into the canoe, though it was a wonder, more than once during the operation, that it didn’t tip over, and, taking up the paddle, started for the shore.
Case saw him coming and ran toward the shore to meet him. Captain Joe arose to get foothold for a spring, and the canoe went over, landing both the boy and the dog in twenty feet of water. It did not take them long to get to the shore, where Captain Joe cleared himself of water by a few vigorous shakes and Clay threw off his outer clothing to dry them by the fire.
“You’re a fine dog!” grumbled Clay, as he stood before the blaze of dry cedar branches. “I give you a chance to have a run on shore, and you go and give me a ducking in the river!”