“Oh, he’s gone,—he’s gone!” cried Freddy, desperately.
“Rex! Rex!” called Dan. “There’s nothing or nobody there. Come back,—come back! Well, he must be a durned fool of a dog to be jumping off at every island he sees.—Rex! Rex!—He’ll starve to death if we leave him here.”
“Oh, he will,—he will!” said Freddy, wofully. “Come back, Rex, old fellow, nice dog,—come back!”
Freddy whistled and called in vain: Rex had vanished into the thick undergrowth.
“Oh, let’s go for him,—let’s go for him, Dan!” pleaded Freddy. “Maybe he is after a wild duck or something. We ought not to let a fine dog like that get lost and starve to death. One of the deck hands on the steamboat told me those dogs were worth a hundred dollars a piece, and that they had more sense than some humans.”
“Well, he isn’t showing it this morning, sure; and he didn’t yesterday either,” said Dan, gruffly. “He isn’t the kind of dog to leave around here for any tramp to pick up, I’ll agree; but how are we to haul him back, unless he chooses to come? And I know nothing about this shore, anyhow. Neb told me they called it Last Island, and there was once a light here that the old whalers could see fifty miles out—why, halloo!” Dan paused in his survey of the doubtful situation. “He’s coming back!”
“Rex! Rex!” shouted Freddy, gleefully; for it was Rex indeed,—Rex coming through the dense low growth, in long leaps, with quick, sharp barks that were like calls; Rex plunging into the water and swimming with swift strokes to the waiting boat; but Rex refusing absolutely to be pulled aboard. He only splashed and shook himself, scattering a very geyser of salt water on the tugging boys, and barked louder and sharper still as if he were doing his best to talk.
“Jing!” exclaimed Dan, giving up all efforts to manage him. “I never saw such a durned chump of a dog! I’m wet to the skin.”
“Oh, he wants something!” said softer-hearted Freddy. “He is trying to tell us something, Dan.”
Rex barked again, as if he had heard the words; and, leaping on the edge of the boat, he caught Freddy’s khaki sleeve.