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  CHAPTER XXIX

  THE WILD DOG PACK

  "Well! well! what under the sun's been going on here while we've beenaway?"

  Bobolink burst out with this exclamation the very minute he passedhastily in at the cabin door. A jolly fire blazed on the hearth, andthe interior of the cabin was well lighted by the flames.

  Paul, as well as all the other arrivals, stared. And well they might,for Sandy Griggs and Bluff were swathed in seemingly innumerablebandages. They looked a bit sheepish too, even while grinningamiably.

  "Oh! 'tisn't as bad as it seems, fellows!" sang out Spider Sexton,cheerfully. "Phil thought it best to wash every scratch with thatstuff we keep for such things, so as to avoid any danger of bloodpoisoning. But shucks! they got off pretty easy, let me tell you."

  "What happened?" demanded Jud Elderkin, curiously. "Did they runacross that old bear after all, and get scratched or bitten?"

  "Or was it the other bobcat that came around to smell the pelt of hismate, and gave you something of a tussle?" asked Bobolink.

  "Both away off your base," said Bluff, with a fresh grin. "It wasdogs, that's all."

  "Dogs!" echoed Jud, unbelievingly. "You must mean wolves, don't you?They look a heap like some kinds of mongrel dogs."

  "'Tis the lad as knows what he is talkin' about, I guess," remarkedTolly Tip just then. "Sure, for these many moons now there's been apack av thim wild dogs a-runnin' through the woods. Many a night haveI listened to the same bayin' and yappin' as they trailed after adeer."

  A flash of understanding came into Jud's face.

  "Oh! now I see what you mean," he went on to say. "Wild dogs theywere, that for some reason have abandoned their homes with people, andgone back to the old free hunting ways of their ancestors. I've heardabout such things. But say! how did it happen they tackled you two?"

  Bluff and his guilty companion exchanged looks, and as he scratchedhis head the former went on to confess.

  "Why, you see, it was this way," he began. "Sandy and I began to getawful tired of staying indoors after you fellows went away. Three daysof it was just too much for our active natures to stand. So we madeup a plan to take a little walk around, and see if we could run acrossany game."

  At that Sandy held up a couple of partridges.

  "All we got, and all we saw," he remarked, "but they were enough toset that savage bunch of wild dogs on us. Whew! but they were hungryand reckless. But you go on and tell the story, Bluff."

  "When we saw them heading our way," continued the other, "we thoughtthey were just ordinary dogs running loose. But as they came closerboth of us began to see that they were a savage looking lot. In thelead was a big mastiff that looked like a lion to us."

  "But you had your guns with you, didn't you?" asked Jud.

  "That's right, we did," replied Bluff. "But you see before we made upour minds the kiyi crowd was dangerous they were nearly on us, yelpingand snapping like everything. That big chap in the lead gave me ashiver just to look at him; and there were three others comingfull-tilt close behind him."

  "We've since made up our minds," again interrupted Sandy, "that theymust have scented our birds, and were crazy to get them. Though evenif we'd thrown the partridges away I believe the pack would haveattacked us like so many tigers."

  "At the very last," Bluff went on, "I knew we ought to be doingsomething. So I yelled out to Sandy who had the shotgun to pepper thatbig mastiff before he could jump us, and that I'd take care of thenext creature."

  "Well, I tried to do it," Sandy affirmed, "but my first shot wentwild, because Bluff here knocked my elbow just when I pulled thetrigger. But I had better luck with the second barrel, for I broughtone of the other dogs down flat on his back, kicking his last."

  "I'd shot a second creature meanwhile," said Bluff; "and then theother two were on us. Whew! but we did have a warm session of it aboutthat time, let me tell you, fellows! It was at close quarters, so Icouldn't use my gun again to shoot; but we swung the weapons aroundour heads as though they were clubs."

  "I made a lucky crack," declared Sandy, "and bowled the smaller curover, but he was up like a flash and at me again, scratching andbiting like a mad wolf. I never would have believed family pets couldgo back to the wild state again like that if I hadn't seen it with myown eyes."

  "I suppose the big beast tackled you then, did he, Bluff?" askedJack.

  "You just b-b-bet he did!" exclaimed the other, excitedly. "Ands-s-say, I had all I could do to k-k-keep him from knocking me overin a h-h-heap. Lots of t-t-times I cracked him with the b-b-butt of myrifle, and staggered him, but he only c-came at me again full tilt.Oh! but we had a g-g-glorious time of it I tell you!"

  "And how did it end?" queried Jud. "Since we find you two hereright-side-up-with-care we must believe that in the final wind-up yougot the better of your canine enemies."

  "C-c-canine d-d-don't seem to fit the c-c-crime this time, Jud,"expostulated Bluff. "It sounds so mild. Well, we lathered 'em rightand left, and took quite a number of s-s-scratches in return. B-b-bothof us were getting pretty well winded, and I was b-b-beginning to beafraid of the outcome, when all at once I remembered that I had otherb-b-bullets in my gun."

  "Wise old head, that of yours, Bluff," commented Jud, with a touch ofsatire in his voice. "Better late than never I should say. Well, whatdid you do then?"

  "Next chance I got I managed to turn my gun around and grip thestock," and as he said this Bluff reached over to pick up hisrepeating rifle to exhibit the dents, as well as the half dried bloodspots on the walnut shoulder piece, all of which went to prove thetruth of his story as words never could have done.

  "That was the end of Mr. Mastiff then, eh?" continued Jud.

  "Oh, well! I hated to do it," Bluff told them, "for he was a beaut ofa beast, so strong and handsome; but then those shining teeth lookedpretty ugly to me, and he was wild to get them at my throat, so therewasn't really any choice."

  "I should say not!" declared Phil Towns, shuddering at the pictureBluff was drawing of the spirited encounter.

  "So I shot him," said Bluff, simply. "And at that the remaining beastlit out as fast as he could, because with the fall of the leader ofthe pack he lost his grit. Course after that Sandy'n I couldn't thinkof hunting any longer. We figured that we ought to get back home andhave our cuts looked after. And Paul, Phil has done a dandy job withthat potash stuff."

  "Glad to hear it," said the scout-master, quickly, "though I'll take alook myself to make sure. Scratches from carnivorous animals are verydangerous on account of the poison that may cling to their claws. It'salways best to be on the safe side, and neutralize the danger."

  "And Paul," continued Bluff, "will you accept one of these fat birdsfrom us?"

  "Not much I will!" declared the other immediately. "Why should I befavored over the rest of the crowd? You and Sandy earned the right toenjoy a feast, and we'll see to it that you have it to-morrow. Letthem hang until then; game is always better for lying a few daysbefore being eaten, you know."

  Of course, those who had remained at home were curious to know whetherthe rescue expedition had been successful or not.

  "We needn't ask if you found Hank and his crowd," declared SpiderSexton, wisely, "for as scouts we are educated to observe things, andfirst of all we notice that none of you has come back with the pack hetook away. That tells us the story. But please go on and give theparticulars, Paul."

  "We managed to find them just when they had their last stick on thefire," the scout-master commenced to relate. "We had to dig a way into them, for there was an enormous drift banked up against their exitthat they hadn't even begun to cut through."

  "How lucky you got there on time!" cried Frank Savage. "Once morescouts have proved themselves masters of circumstances. Bully forStanhope Troop! I bet you they were glad to see you! Yes, and like asnot told you they were sorry for ever having done anything to annoyour crowd."

  "You've hit it to a dot, Frank," admitted Jud. "Hank shows some signsof meaning to turn ove
r a new leaf, and Paul even believes there's ahope; but somehow the rest of us reckon its the old story over again.Once they get on their own stamping grounds, by degrees they'll forgetall we've done for them, and be back at their old tricks again. What'sbred in the bone can't easily be beaten out of the flesh, my fathersays."

  "But it does happen once in a while," admonished Paul; "so we'll dropthe subject for the present. If Hank starts in to do the right thing,though, remember that it's our duty as scouts to give him all the helpwe can. And now let's settle on the menu for supper, because we're allof us as hungry as wolves."

  While some of the boys were busying themselves around the fire, Paultook a look at the slight injuries of the two aspiring hunters, andcomplimented the pleased Philip on the clever way he had attended totheir necessities.