“There are the dogs,” said I; “they are getting nearer.”

“They are coming our way at last,” he returned quietly.  “But what’s that to us when you are to be married?  I wish you joy and I shall be at the wedding, and it must be soon, too, and Tim shall be here.”  He was speaking very rapidly; his face was pale and his hand trembled in mine.  “I’ll send for him.  Tim must have a holiday, and perhaps he’ll bring Miss—­Miss Smyth.”  Weston laughed.  “Parker,” he corrected.  “He’ll bring Miss Parker or Mrs. Tim.”

Full and strong the bay of the hounds was ringing along the ridges.  Nearer and nearer they were coming.  Now I could hear old Captain’s deep tones, and the shorter, sharper tongue of Betsy, Mike, and Major.  The fox was keeping to the ridge-top and in a few moments he would be sweeping by us.  I pointed through the woods to a bit of clearing made by a charcoal burner.  If he kept his course the fox would cross it, and that meant a clear shot.  Weston knew the place, and without a word he picked up his gun and hurried through the woods.

Nearer and nearer came the hounds.  The woods were ringing with their music, and the sound of the chase swung to and fro, from ridge to ridge.  Now I could hear the crashing of the underbrush.

Weston fired.  The report rattled from hill to hill.

My own gun sprang to the shoulder, but it was too late.  The fox, seeing me, veered down the slope, and swept on to safety or to death, for six more anxious hunters were watching for him somewhere in those woods.

The dogs swept by, old Captain as ever leading, with Betsy at his haunches and Mike and Major neck and neck behind.

I watched for little Colonel.  A minute passed and he did not come.  Poor puppy!  He had learned that to live was to suffer.  Somewhere in these woods he must be lying, resting those ponderous paws and licking his bloody flanks.

The hollow was alive with the bay of dogs; the ridges were ringing with the echoes of a gunshot; but above them all I heard a plaintive wail over there in the charcoal clearing.  I called for Weston and I got no answer, only the cry of the little hound.  I called again and I got no answer.  Through the hushes I tore as fast as my crutches would take me, calling as I ran and hearing only the wail of the puppy, till I broke from the cover into the open.

On his haunches, his slantwise eyes half closed, his head lifted high in the bright sunlight, sat little Colonel, wailing.  He heard me call.  He saw me.  And when I reached him he was licking the white face of Whiskey Weston.

[Illustration:  Sat little Colonel, wailing.]

XIII