y the furious style was
revived, and the men wrought themselves into a condition little short of
madness, while their yells rung wildly through the camp. This was too
much for ordinary canine nature to withstand, so all the dogs in the
neighbourhood joined in the horrible chorus.

Crusoe had long since learned to treat the eccentricities of Indians and
their curs with dignified contempt. He paid no attention to this
serenade, but lay sleeping by the fire until Dick and his companions
rose to take leave of their host, and return to the camp of the
fur-traders. The remainder of that night was spent in making
preparations for setting forth on the morrow, and when, at grey dawn,
Dick and Crusoe lay down to snatch a few hours' repose, the yells and
howling in the Snake camp were going on as vigorously as ever.

The sun had arisen, and his beams were just tipping the summits of the
Rocky Mountains, causing the snowy peaks to glitter like flame, and the
deep ravines and gorges to look sombre and mysterious by contrast, when
Dick, and Joe, and Henri mounted their gallant steeds, and, with Crusoe
gambolling before, and the two pack-horses trotting by their side,
turned their faces eastward, and bade adieu to the Indian camp.

Crusoe was in great spirits. He was perfectly well aware that he and
his companions were on their way home, and testified his satisfaction by
bursts of scampering over the hills and valleys. Doubtless he thought
of Dick Varley's cottage, and of Dick's mild, kind-hearted mother.
Undoubtedly, too, he thought of his own mother, Fan, and felt a glow of
filial affection as he did so. Of this we feel quite certain. He would
have been unworthy the title of hero if he hadn't. Perchance he thought
of Grumps, but of this we are not quite so sure. We rather think, upon
the whole, that he did.

Dick, too, let his thoughts run away in the direction of _home_. Sweet
word! Those who have never left it cannot, by any effort of
imagination, realise the full import of the word "home." Dick was a
bold hunter, but he was young, and this was his first long expedition.
Oftentimes, when sleeping under the trees and gazing dreamily up through
the branches at the stars, had he thought of home, until his longing
heart began to yearn to return. He repelled such tender feelings,
however, when they became too strong, deeming them unmanly, and sought
to turn his mind to the excitements of the chase, but latterly his
eff