It began to get real exciting once, when Jack suddenly ducked and pulled Steve down with him, as though he had glimpsed something suspicious. Valiant Steve gripped his club with a firmer clutch, took a big breath, and awaited the coming of the savage dog; for he believed nothing less than this was about to confront them.
Jack raised his head so that he might see above the bushes behind which they chanced to be crouching. Then he gave a low chuckle as of amusement.
“False alarm after all, Steve!” he whispered. “See, it was only a red fox scuttling away, with his big brush dangling behind him. He was just waking up after his afternoon nap, and wondering where he could get a fat partridge for his supper when our coming disturbed him. I just caught a glimpse of something moving, and on the spur of the moment of course could think only of the dog.”
Steve breathed freely again. He also knocked on the ground a bit savagely with that elegant club of his.
“Well, I’m just as well pleased, Jack,” he remarked, “though I had it made up to give the brute all that was coming to him. Once let me get a fair crack at him with this stick, and he’ll go daffy, I warrant you. I’ll put all the vim into the blow that stands for a home-run hit on the diamond. 65 But remember, I don’t like dog, and I’m not aching for a chance to make the try.”
So again they started along, still heading straight toward the region out of which had come that tell-tale barking. They had come to a still wilder section of country by now. The land was cut up by little ridges and gullies and walking proved more tiresome. Jack appeared to notice this fact, as though it might have a certain significance in his eyes. To Steve, however, it only meant that there must be more chances of game holding forth amidst these dark and gloomy depressions, where trees and heavy undergrowth combined to make an almost impassable stretch.
While there was really no trail for them to follow, it happened that the easiest way to make progress took them along a direct line. On either hand the impediments seemed to be such as to discourage any variation from their course. Only with considerable effort could they have pushed through the tangled vegetation, and for one, Jack did not seem disposed to try it.
Then something happened.
“Oh! did you hear that, Jack?” gasped Steve.
Both of them had come to an abrupt halt, and were standing there, straining their eyes to see what lay ahead of them.