" answered David, looking up and down the road. "He must have slipped
the collar over his head and gone off; but I never knew him to do it
before." "Well, you needn't look so sober about it," said Don. "He isn't
far away. I'll warrant I can bring him back." Don set up a whistle that
could have been heard for half a mile. Indeed it was heard and
recognised at a greater distance than that. An answering yelp came from
the direction of his father's house, but it was not given by the dog Don
wanted to see just then. It was uttered by one of the hounds which had
been shut up in the barn when Don went away that morning, and afterward
released by the hostler. The others answered in chorus, and half a dozen
fleet animals were seen coming down the road at the top of their speed.
But the pointer was not with them. "It's likely we shall find him at the
house," said Bert, who wanted to say something encouraging for David's
benefit. "I don't doubt it," returned Don. "If he's there, Dave, we'll
take a short hunt with him and bring him down in the morning." "If you
don't care I'll go up with you," said David, "It would be a great relief
to me to know that he is safe." "All right. Jump aboard." David got into
the canoe again and Don pulled up the lake toward the wharf. When they
reached it the boat was made fast to the tree again, and the three boys
started for the house. Don at once began making inquiries concerning his
pointer, but no one had seen him, and his loud and continued whistling
brought only the hounds, which snuffed at the guns and yelped and jumped
about as if trying to make the
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