One after another,
wounded and limping, the curs skulked away as the two men rushed up to the
children.
"Ha! ha! hurrah for our Jack and Cuffy; aren't they the boss dogs!" shouted
the fearless little runaways, and now that the victory was won they nimbly
sprang down from their high retreat and, apparently without the slightest
fear, congratulated both their father and the Indian on the superiority of
their own dogs.
Trembling with anxiety, the anxious father, thankful at the narrow escape
of his children, as he clasped them in his arms could not but be amazed at
the indifference of the little ones to the great danger from which they had
just escaped. After petting Jack and Cuffy for their great bravery and
courage the return journey was begun, much to the regret of the children,
who pleaded hard to be allowed to resume their trip to the wigwam of
Souwanas to hear the stories of Nanahboozhoo.
[Illustration: "Surrounding them were several fierce, wolfish Indian
dogs."]
The father was perfectly amazed at this request, and of course it was
sternly refused. He had started off in pursuit of the runaways with a
resolve to punish them for this serious breach of home discipline, but his
alarm at their danger and his thankfulness for their escape had so stirred
him that he could not punish them nor even chide them at the time. All he
could do was to bring them safely home again and, as usual in such
emergencies, turn them over to the tender mercies of their mother.
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