[chester sat looking at a newly turned page as though it were illegible.

"i'm wondering," he lightly said, "what public enormity of to-day the next generation will be as amazed at as we are at this."

"ah," mme. castanado responded, "never mine! tha'z but the moral! aline and me we are insane for the story to finizh!" and the story was resumed, to suffer no further interruption.]

at the river we burst out upon a broad, gentle bend up and down which we could see both heavily wooded banks for a good furlong either way.

the sun's last beams shone straight up the lower arm of the bend. on the upper bayed charmer and dandy, unseen. on the lower we heard the younger pair. on the upper we saw only the clear waters crinkling in a wide shallow over a gravel-bar, but down-stream we instantly discovered luke and his wife. silhouetted against the level sunlight, heaving forward with arms upthrown, waist deep in the main current, they were more than half-way across. at that moment two small dark objects, the two dogs, moved out from the shore, after them, each with its wake of two long silvery ripples. the "puppy" was leading.

with a curse their master threw the horn to his lips and blew an imperious note. the rear dog turned his head and would have reversed his course, but seeing his leader keep on he kept on with him. again the angry horn re-echoed, and the rear dog promptly turned back though the other swam on.

rebecca threw a look behind and it was pitiful to hear her outcry of despair and terror. but luke faced about and, backing after her through the flood, prepared to meet the hound naked-handed. hardy sprang to his tiptoes in the stirrups, his curses pealing across the water. "if you hurt that dog," he yelled, "i'll shoot you dead!"

up-stream the other two runaways were out on the gravel-bar, euonymus behind robelia and robelia splashing ludicrously across the shoal, tearing off and kicking off--in preparation for deep water--sunbonnet, skirt, waist, petticoat, and howling in the self-concern of abject cowardice.

"thank heaven, she's a swimmer," thought i, "and won't drown her brother!" for only a swimmer ever cast off garments that way.

the flight of euonymus, too, was bare-headed and swift, but it was unfrenzied and silent. neither of them saw luke or rebecca; the sun was in their eyes and at that instant charmer and dandy, having met some momentary delay, once more bayed joyously and sprang into view. like luke, euonymus faced the brutes. with another fierce outcry hardy blew his recall of all the four dogs.

three turned at once but the youngster launched himself at luke's throat where he stood breast-high in the glassing current. the slave caught the dog's whole windpipe in both hands and went with him under the flood. hardy's supreme care for charmer had lost him the strategic moment, but he fired straight at rebecca.

she did not fall and his weapon flew up for a second shot! but by some sheer luck i knocked the pistol spinning yards away into the river. while it spun i saw other things: rebecca clasping a wounded arm; luke and the dog reappearing apart, the dog about to repeat his onset; and hardy dumb with rage.

"call the puppy!" i cried, "you'll save him yet."

the master winded his horn, and the dog swam our way. at the same time his fellows came about us, while on the farther bank luke helped his wife writhe up through the waterside vines, and with her disappeared. only euonymus remained in the water, at the far edge of the gravel-bar.

i was so happy that i laughed. "all right," i cried, "i'll pay for the revolver."

foul epithets were hardy's reply while he spurred madly to and fro in search of an opening in the vines to let his horse down into the stream. i rode with him, knee to knee. "you'll pay for this with your life !" he yelled down my throat. "i'll kill you, so help me god! charmer! dandy! go, take the nigger!"

the whole baying pack darted off for euonymus's crossing. "take the nigger, charmer! ah! take him, my lady!" we saw that euonymus could not swim. still knee to knee with hardy, i drew and fired. "puppy's" mate yelped and rolled over, dead.

"call them back," i said, holding my weapon high; but hardy only shrieked curses and cried:

"take the nigger, charmer, take him!"

i fired again. poor dandy! he sprang aside howling piteously, with melting eyes on his master.

"oh, god!" cried hardy, leaping down beside the wailing dog, that pushed its head into his bosom like a sick child. "oh, god, but you shall die for this!"

he was half right but so was i and i checked up barely enough to cry back: "call 'em off! call 'em off or i'll shoot charmer!"

with dandy clasped close and with eyes streaming he blew the recall. looking for its effect, i saw euonymus trying to swim and charmer quitting the chase. but the young dog kept on. the current was carrying euonymus away. twice through vines and brush, while i cried: "catch the fallen tree below you! catch the tree!" i tried to spur my horse down into the stream, and on the third trial i succeeded.

the flood had cut the bank from under a great buttonwood. it hung prone over the water, and one dipping fork seized and held the fainting swimmer. the dog was close, but had entered the current too far down and was breasting it while he bayed in protest to his master's horn. now, as euonymus struggled along the tree the brute struck for the bank, and the two gained it together. euonymus ran, but on a bit of open grass dropped to one knee, at bay. the dog sprang. in the negro fashion the runaway's head ducked forward to receive the onset, while both hands clutched the brute's throat. not dreaming that they would keep their hold till i could get there, i leaped down in the shoal to fire; but the grip held, though the dog's teeth sank into legs and arms, and all at once euonymus straightened to full stature, lifting the dog till his hind legs could but just tiptoe the ground.

"right!" i cried; "bully, my boy! lift him one inch higher and he's whipped!"

but euonymus could barely hold him off from face and throat.

"turn him broadside to me!" i shouted, having come into water breast-deep. "let me put a hole through him!"

but the fugitive's only response was: "run, robelia! 'ever mind me! run! run!"

and here came hardy across the gravel-bar, in the saddle. i aimed at him: "stand, sir! stand!"

he hauled in and lifted the horn. euonymus had heaved the dog from his feet. the horn rang, and with a howl of terror the brute writhed free, leaped into the river and swam toward his master. i sprang on my horse and took the deep water: "wait, boy! wait!"

it was hard getting ashore. when i reached the spot of grass i found only the front half of the runaway's hickory shirt, in bloody rags. i spurred to a gap in the bushes, and there, face down, lay euonymus, insensible. i knelt and turned the slender form; and then i whipped off my coat and laid it over the still, black bosom. for euonymus was a girl.