He stood for a few seconds as if he had been deprived of
all power of action, and then caught up his rifle and took to his
heels. He ran as if the pack were after him instead of Bob and
Lester, and never slackened his pace until he was out of hearing of
their angry voices. He crept home like a thief and got into bed
without arousing either David or his mother. But he could not sleep.
He was haunted by the fear that something dreadful had happened down
there in the quarters, and that there would be a great uproar in the
settlement the next morning. He felt that he could never be himself
again until he knew the worst, so a little while before daylight he
put on his clothes, slipped quietly out of the cabin and bent his
steps toward the big gate near which he had been concealed the night
before. By the time he reached it there, was light enough for him to
distinguish objects at a considerable distance, and we can imagine
how greatly relieved he was when he discovered Bob and Lester perched
upon the ridge pole of the cabin. At first, he thought his eyes were
deceiving him, but a second look told him that there was no mistake
about it. He would have been glad to know if either of them had been
injured by the hounds before they got there, but that was something
he could not find out just then.
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