Part 21 (1/2)

He fully expected that Paul would now feel it necessary to raise his gun to his shoulder, and fire, on the spur of the moment. Contrary to his belief, he found that the scout master did nothing of the sort. Instead, Paul took a deliberate step forward, straight toward the animal that lay there, staring at the blinding light.

”Oh I my stars! he's going to scare him off with only that light!” said Bobolink, talking to himself; and yet, strange to say, he followed close at the heels of the advancing scout master, clutching his club tightly, and doubtless fully determined that if they were attacked, he would make the stout weapon give a good account of itself.

For a brief s.p.a.ce it seemed an open question whether the animal would turn tail and slink away, or openly attack the advancing boys. But there was evidently something in that approaching dazzling light, and the presence of human beings behind it, that proved too much for the beast.

He gave a sudden turn, and bounded off, vanis.h.i.+ng in the denser scrub beyond; and for a short time the listening Bobolink could hear the sound of his retreat.

”Whew I that was the stuff, Paul!” cried Bobolink. ”He just couldn't look you in the eye; could he? That fierce little staring orb was too much for him. But what was it, Paul, a panther?”

Some one laughed back of them, and turning, light in hand, Paul saw Nuthin.

”What ails you, and how did you get here?” demanded Bobolink.

”Heard what you said to Paul in the tent, and wanted to see what was up, so I just crawled out,” answered the smaller scout, still grinning, as though he had discovered something comical in the adventure.

”Well, what ails you?” Bobolink demanded again, feeling irritated somehow.

”Panther! Well, I guess he hasn't got that wild, yet!” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Nuthin.

Paul began to understand something about it.

”See here, Nuthin,” he said, sternly; ”you know that was a dog, as well as I do; have you ever seen him before? Do you know him?”

Nuthin laughed softly.

”Guess you fellows must have forgot that old mongrel dog, Lion, we used to have,” he went on. ”Well, he disappeared a long time ago, and we never knew what did become of him. There always was a sorter wild streak in the critter. And now it seems that he's found, it nicer to live like a wolf in the woods, than stay at home and be tied to a kennel. Because that was Lion, I give you my word for it!”

”Mebbe he smelled you here, and wanted to make up again?”

suggested Bobolink.

”Don't you believe it,” retorted Nuthin. ”He never did like me, and my dad wouldn't let me go near his kennel. When he skipped out we all felt glad of it. And to think he'd show up here, of all places! What d'ye reckon he's doin' over here on this island, Paul?”

”Listen. When he got away from you did he have a rope around his neck, with six feet of it trailing on the ground?” Paul asked.

”Did he? Not any that I know about. We always kept him fastened with a chain; and when he broke away, it was his collar that busted. I've got it home yet,” was the response.

”Well, that dog had the rope, just as I described. He's been tied up, of late, and broke away,” the scout master observed, with conviction in his voice.

”Then he must have been in the keep of these men who're doin' somethin'

queer over here on Cedar Island, and don't want a parcel of peepin'

scouts around; looks that way, don't it, Paul?” Nuthin inquired.

”I was wondering whether it could be that crowd, or the other,” Paul replied, musingly.

”D'ye mean the wild man?” asked Bobolink.

”It might be,” replied Paul. ”If your old dog, Nuthin, has taken to the free life of the woods--gone back to the type of his ancestors, as I've heard of dogs doing many a time--why, you see, he'd just seem to fit in with a wild man who lived about like the savages used to away back.”