"It-- it is written in something red, sir," cried Ruth, her voice
trembling. "See! It is blood!"

"I tell you we've wasted a lot of time here," declared the conductor.
"I am sorry if anybody is hurt, but we cannot stop for him. Get back
to the cars, please, gentlemen. Do you belong aboard?" he added, to
Ruth. "Get aboard, if you do."

"Oh, sir! You will not leave the poor dog here?" Ruth asked.

"Not with that red lamp on his collar-- no!" exclaimed the conductor.
"He will be fooling some other engineer--"

He reached to disentangle the wire from the dog's collar; but Reno
uttered a low growl.

"Plague take the dog!" ejaculated the conductor, stepping back
hastily. "Whoever it is that's hurt, or wherever he is, we cannot send
him help from here. We'll report the circumstance at the Cheslow
Station. Put the dog in the baggage car. He can find the place where
his master is hurt, from Cheslow as well as from here, it's likely."

"You try to make him follow you, Miss," added the conductor to Ruth.
"He doesn't like me, it's plain."

"Come here, Reno!" Ruth commanded. "Come here, old fellow."

The big dog hesitated, stepped a yard or two after her, stopped,
looked around and across the track toward the swamp meadow, and
whined.