"Listen to 'em howl, would you?" cried Lanky.

"The shoe's on the other foot, now. Wow! ain't they getting nipped
hard, though?" shouted Herman Hooker, hardly knowing whether to be
pleased or frightened.

"Faster!" gritted Frank, between his teeth, for he did not like
those shouts.

Possibly the boys had picked up clubs, and were trying to beat
Kaiser off, in order to continue their cruel sport of tossing poor
Bones into the water, and pulling him out again by means of a rope
fastened around his ankles.

Now the runners were close upon the spot.

"They're scattering!" called Lanky, as the shouts appeared to come
from various localities.

"And I think Bones has got hold of the dog. I can hear someone
speaking to him, and trying to quiet the brute!" gasped Paul Bird,
who was also a keen runner, able to "keep up with the procession"
as well as the next fellow.

"That's true. Hold on to him, Bones, old fellow!" Frank managed to
shout.

A dozen seconds later, and they came upon the river bank. The half
moon up in the western sky gave enough light to show them how