Chapter XXII.
REX FIGHTS UNKNOWN ENEMIES.
With aching heads bowed under their burdens, and tired limbs, they hadreturned to within, perhaps, a hundred yards of the beach, when thebarking of dogs, mingled with a girlish scream, caused them all tolook up in astonishment. Then, without waiting for any one to give theword, each dropped what he was carrying, and began to run as fast ashe was able over the broken ice towards the shore.
When the lads had started on the second trip out to the boat, Rex,bidden to watch his mistress, and proud of the duty, had lain downalmost on the edge of her blankets. There was no snow upon the sandhere, and the warmth of the fire closed the eyes of the fagged-outdog, just as it had those of his mistress. The boys had been gone,perhaps, half an hour, and he had had time to get very soundly asleep,when, suddenly, he was roused by a growl and a rush, and before hecould rise to his feet two animals were right upon him, each nearly asbig as himself, though short-haired and wofully gaunt. With a yelp ofsurprise and rage the dog sprang up and tried to defend himself, butthe attack of his assailants was so fierce that he was rolled over inan instant, and felt their teeth pressing at his throat.
Into Katy's dreams of a May-day picnic under the blossomingapple-trees broke this rude hubbub, and before she could understandits meaning she felt the weight of the struggling animals pressingupon her bed. With the piercing scream of fright that had reached theears of her brothers out on the ice, she struggled out of herblankets, only to be tripped and fall right upon the tumbling,growling, fighting heap. Afterwards she used to tell the story withmerry laughter, but then, scarcely knowing what it all meant, she wastoo frightened to do anything but scream again, and pick herself up asbest she could.
Safely on her feet at last, and convinced that this startlingadventure was a reality and not some frightful change in her dream,she saw that Rex was being overpowered by two great dogs, lean almostas skeletons, that seemed bent upon killing him without an instant'sdelay. To see her faithful friend surprised and overcome in thisterrible way stirred up all her sympathies and all her wrath. Like aflash she remembered how African travellers had fought lions withfirebrands, and, seizing one of the charred sticks from the fire, shebegan to strike the brute nearest to her.
But what followed was most alarming, for the animal, at the very firstblow, left Rex and turned towards her, his jaws wide open, and hishaggard eyes glowing with rage. Instinctively she presented thesmoking end of her long brand, as a soldier would his bayonet, and wasfortunate enough to meet the dog squarely in the face, which staggeredhim for an instant, and before he could gather himself for a newattack Aleck and Tug and Jim were all beside her, and the two greatbrutes were in full flight.
Then the brave girl dropped her firebrand, and sank down on thenearest seat, where, perhaps, she might have been excused for faintinghad the day been warm, instead of freezing cold. The boys gatheredanxiously about her, with such questions as, "Where did they comefrom?" "Why did they attack you?" "Are you hurt?" and so on.
The story was soon told, and this was fortunate, for everybody hadforgotten poor Rex, who lay panting, and licking one of his feet, fromwhich the blood was oozing.
"Well, old fellow," exclaimed Tug, as he went and bent over the dog,"did they try to chew you up? Here, give us your paw. Quiet! Let mefeel--so--good dog! No bones broken, I guess, and we'll bandage you upO. K. How about this ear? One hole through it, and--Well, 'twas luckyyou had a strong collar? Just look at the tooth-marks on that piece ofleather! If it hadn't been for that an' his thick hair, they'd been inhis throat, and then good-bye, Rex!"