Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-06-07
The AVENGER.
A Tale OF the Woods OF Maine.
BY CHARLES T.. ISLEY.
CHAP. III.

pressed blade OF graSs-eVery Dent tWls
which none but an eye like his would
have detected, served as guide to the
old hunter, who followed on the track
of the savages with the unerring pre-
oision of the bloodhound on the scent
Occasionally he paused in his rapid
walk, and bending his ear to the ground,
listened intently for moment or two.
During one of the pauses, he patted the
shaggy sides of the mastiff, which close
ly followed in his footsteps, and adj
dressed him in low tone.
''They shall rue it, Brave-they shall
rue it! Blood for blood says the good
book - though the varmits are but
heathens and are ignorant of the scrip.
tiers! A woman and child: ah, Brave!
there's more marcy in brute than in
them reptiles. They came in the di-
rection from Yarmouth, and those yal-
Ter ringlets, so much like twisted gold,
were torn from the head of Ruth
Greeley, poor thing! or I'm mistaken
But III revenge her, if l die for It'll
Come. Bravem and the scout resumed
the trail with the same untiring pace.
Throughout the day he faltered not
in the pursuit--making only brief halt
at noon by spring side, where he par
took of the frugal tare he bore with him.
which he shared with his faithful COM
panion. AS the day began to decline
and the trail became more indistinct in
the gathering darkness, the scout stopped
and addressed his dog.
Here, Brave" said he pointing
Il 81 = TN. 70 fol ha
"a dogs nose is better than mans
eye at this hour"
At the voice of his master the dog
wagged his tail. as If asserting to the
command, and after shutting along the
path, as if to secure the scent, he turned
his head, looking into the hunters face,
with an ''Tm ready" expression about
his eyes Tie scout nodded his head
the dog turned his, and with his nose
close TO the ground the sagacious animal
trotted ahead. his master following un-
hesitatingly his lead.
An hour or more the two went silent
ly on their path, by which time the
woods had become SO dark that more
caution was necessary in keeping the
track. Still the old man followed the
dog with the utmost confidence, even
when the route became wholly obscured.
Once only did the dog show any signs
of being at fault. Stopping suddenly
in his path then diverging first to one
and then to the other side of the course
he had been following, he ran about for
few moments SMILING the air and
uttering a low whine. The scout
watched his movement with eager Curl
osity.
Have you found it, Brave!" he at
length whispered to the dog, who hav-
ing struck off at nearly right angle,
and then running short distance in
that direction, had returned on the trot
to his masters side. The dog joyfully
wagged his tail and stood in an attitude
evincing an eagerness to proceed. At
word from his master he started forward,
followed by the scout, in a direction
very essentially different from the one
they had been pursuing.
There muttered the old man to
himself after they had got fairly started
-''that are pup knows more than any
two men in the settlement. Square
Hawkes. with all his learning, and law
is fool TO him! They say that these
critters have no souls, and can't reason.
P'r'aps not pr'aps mott cant say
but to my thinking when the dog dies
that won't be the end of him! And as
to his reason, l amt so clear-Ive
argued many tough case with him
here in the woods, and I've larnt to
give it to him, for some way or other U
'as always turned out that he was in
the right, tho my reason was ag'in him
at first. I've my notions of these things"
said the scout shaking his head-'Ive
my notions of these things, and twill
be plaguey hard beating 'em out of me.
Ha, Brave! what's in the windp" he
added, addressing the animal, who had
again stopped crouched before hl1n.
A suppressed growl from the mastiff
followed this enquiry.
"Do you smell the redskins, pup"
said the scout, as he knelt beside the
dog in a listening attitude. He re-
NAMED in this position some minutes,
but apparently without detecting the
cause of the dogs alarm.
1.-The dogs nose beats eyes and ears
this time" said the old man in q whis-
per-"but I'll lay my life ont the var
ments are not far off. Go, Brave and
find 'em out!''
The mastiff rose TO his feet, and with
noiseless tread kept on his way, leav-
ing behind his master, who carefully
putting aside the foliage of a clump of
bushes near by, crept into their covert.
For nearly an hour he remained in
this concealment, axiously waiting the
return of the mastiff. He reposed un-
bounded confidence in this faithful
creature, whose sagacity was truly won
derful. The animal was of mixed
breed, combining all the qualities which
rendered him invaluable to a man like
the scout. The old man had reared
and trained him from pup. and such
perfect sympathy as it were, existed
between the two, that neither of them
could do anything unless mutually I'M
derstood.
A light pattering among the dry
leaves at last announced the Approach
of the reconnoiterer and presently he
entered the covert and rubbed himself
fondly against his masters limbs.
"Did you diskiver 'em dogp" said the
scout STOPPING down to caress the faith
full animal. As he reached out his hand
for that purpose, IL came in contact
with the soft, silken ringlets attached
to the scalp of a child, accidentally
dropped by the Indian, perhaps, and
which the dog had brought back as a
proof of the success of his mission.-
Yielding It to his master, he gave low,
angry growl, and turned toward the
quarter whence he had come.