e is lost and wants to get back to his master," said
Dan. "Dogs have a lot of sense generally, so what took him over to that
girls' camp puzzles me."

"He didn't like the girls,--did you, Rex?" asked Freddy, as he patted his
new friend's nose. "My, he is a beauty,--isn't he, Dan? Just the kind of a
dog I'd like to have; and, if nobody comes for him, he will be ours for
keeps. Do you think Brother Andrew will let us have him out in the stable
at St. Andrew's? Dick Walton kept his rabbits there--"

"Until a weasel came and gobbled them up," laughed Dan, as he steered away
from a line of rocks that jutted out like sharp teeth from a low-lying,
heavily wooded shore.

"They couldn't gobble Rex,--could they, old fellow!" said Freddy, with
another friendly pat.

But, regardless of all these kindly overtures, Rex sprang to his feet,
barked in wild excitement for a moment, made a plunge from the boat and
struck out for shore.

"Oh, he's gone,--he's gone!" cried Freddy, desperately.

"Rex! Rex!" called Dan. "There's nothing or nobody there. Come back,--come
back! Well, he must be a durned fool of a dog to be jumping off at every
island he sees.--Rex! Rex!--He'll starve to death if we leave him here."

"Oh, he will,--he will!" said Freddy, wofully. "Come back, Rex, old
fellow, nice dog,--come back!"

Freddy whistled and called in vain: Rex had vanished into the thick
undergrowth.

"Oh, let's go for him,--let's go for him, Dan!" pleaded Freddy. "Maybe he
is after a wild duck or something. We ought not to let a fine dog like
that get lost and starve to death. One of the deck hands on the steamboat
told me those dogs were worth a hundred dollars a piece, and that they had
more sense than some humans."

"Well, he isn't showing it this morning, sure; and he didn't yesterday
either," said Dan, gruffly. "He isn't the kind of dog to leave around here
for any tramp to pick up, I'll agree; but how are we to haul him back,
unless he chooses to come? And I know nothing about this shore, anyhow.
Neb told me they called it Last Island, and there was once a light here
that the old whalers could see fifty miles out--why, halloo!" Dan paused
in his survey of the doubtful situation. "He's coming back!"

"Rex! Rex!" shouted Freddy, gleefully; for it was Rex indeed,--Rex coming
through the dense low growth, in long leaps, with quick, sharp barks that
were like calls; Rex plunging into the water and swimming with swift
strokes to the wait