way, bent on making a raid on our
stores."

"Whatever can we do?" entreated Mazie, looking to Max to get them out
of this new difficulty, for as everybody knew he always had a plan
ready.

"If they should come this way you girls would have to climb up among
the lower branches of this tree here," said Max. "You could make it
without the least trouble, and keep out of reach of the dogs' teeth.
Do you understand that, Mazie, Bessie, Mabel? Yes, and you too, Mrs.
Jacobus."

The old lady took something out of her pocket and carefully handed it
over to Max. To his astonishment he discovered that he was holding a
brand new automatic quick-firing revolver of the latest pattern.
Undoubtedly then Mrs. Jacobus, while living alone, had not taken any
chances. Tramps or dogs might molest her, and she probably meant to be
in a condition to defend herself. Perhaps, too, she may have carried
quite a good-sized amount of money about her person, and wished to be
in a condition to keep yeggmen from robbing her by day or by night.

Somehow the feel of the weapon gave Max a sensation of renewed
confidence. With such a reliable tool he fancied that there would be
little cause for anxiety, even should that pack of snapping hungry dogs
dash into the camp, seeking to raid their larder, and ready to attack
them if prevented from carrying out their design.

"Get hold of clubs, boys, if you can find them!" he told the others;
"because the yelping and barking is certainly coming straight this way,
and we'd better be ready to beat them off if they try to rob us.
Anything that will make an impression will do; and when you strike, do
it with vim!"

"Will we?" cried Steve, who still had a splendid club he had picked up
some time back; "just let me get a single whack at a dog, I don't care
what his breed or size or color, and his name will be Dennis, or Mud, I
don't know which. But just as you said, Max, they are coming this way
full tilt. Whew! sounds like there might be a round dozen in the
bunch, and from a yapping ki-yi to a big Dane, with his heavy bark like
the muttering of thunder."

"Leave that big one to me, remember," said Max; "and you fellows look
after the smaller fry. We'll have to show them that because they're
running loose and in a pack, they don't own the woods by a long shot.
Now, climb up into that tree, girls, because they'll be here in a
minute or so, I'm afraid!"

CHAPTER XIII

THE DEFENCE OF THE CAMP