Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/179

 "Of course he would, and be glad of the chance. If he found him, he would set up such a yelping that you would think there were a dozen dogs in the woods."

"What are you going to do now?" inquired Ralph, as the six canoes ran their bows upon the beach, one after the other.

"We are going to stretch our legs, and that will be a comfort after sitting in such cramped positions for four long hours," replied Joe, at the same time catching up his double-barrel and springing ashore with it. "We'll follow up his trail, which we can easily do for a mile or more, because all the ground about here is swampy, and when we lose it, we'll knock over a few squirrels and go up to the point and eat our breakfast. Keep close to us, or else stay within sight of the beach. The woods are thick, and you could get lost without half trying."

Led by Arthur Hastings, the boys ran up the shore of the pond until they reached the place where the bear had turned off into the bushes, and then the pursuit began in earnest. Whether or not Loren and Ralph were as anxious to get a shot at the game as they