Both white men started. The Indian stolidly maintained his position upon the prow of the canoe; but his ready finger rested upon the trigger of his gun. A heavy body came crashing through the weeds and bushes upon the bank. Then the vines and branches parted; and, with a hoarse yelp of joy, a large dog sprang into the open and crouched at Douglas’s feet. He was a magnificent black-and-tan animal, lithe and strong as a panther—an immense bloodhound. He was wet and muddy; and as he lay at his master’s feet, he rolled his red-rimmed eyes and panted and whined. A piece of thong was about his neck, to which was fastened a short sharpened stake.
“Well, if that don’t beat my reckonin’!” bawled Farley, opening his wide mouth and hawhawing heartily. “How in the name o’ Julius Cæsar did that dog ever git loose? That stake was druv in the hard floor o’ my shack, deep enough to hold a bull—it was, by the Queen o’ Sheba! An’ he’s pulled it up. But how in the plague did he git out o’ the cabin? Must ’ave crawled up the chimbly—by cracky! ’Cause I latched the door as I come out—I’m certain of it. Dang-it-all-to-dingnation! But it does beat all!”
The dog now attempted to raise his head and lick his master’s hand. Failing in this, he slowly arose to his feet, tremulously wagged his tail, and beseechingly fastened his eyes upon Ross’s face. Then he whined.
“Down, Duke!” Douglas commanded sternly.
The dog obeyed; but rolled his great eyes upward toward the being he loved and worshiped, as though begging pardon for his misconduct.
“Joe, I want you to take him back to your cabin and keep him until I return. I tried to run away from him this morning, but he has trailed me—although I traveled by water. I left him at the Wyandot village above here. Take him away, Joe; I can’t bear to leave while he’s looking at me like that.”
And there was a quaver in Ross Douglas’s voice.
“Duke him much good dog—him heap big brave,” volunteered Bright Wing, nodding vigorously.
“Quick, Joe—take him away,” Ross said huskily.
“I ain’t a-goin’ to do it,” replied Farley, with a stubborn shake of the head.