o; in fact it is doubtful if
the most skilled veterinary surgeon could have prescribed.

"The real trouble is their cramped quarters, of course," said Horace.
"We must get home as quickly as possible, and get them out of this and
into a larger cage. Some of the others will sicken if we don't look
sharp."

They made all the speed they could, and, now that they were fairly on
the canoe route south of the Height of Land, they felt that they were
well toward home. It was downstream now, and portages grew less and
less frequent as the river grew. They did not stop to hunt or fish;
the paddled till dusk, and were up at dawn. They felt that it was a
race for the life of the valuable little animal, and they did not spare
themselves. Two days afterward, late in the afternoon, they came to
the little railway village that had been their starting-point.

The cub seemed no better--worse, if anything. There was a train for
Toronto at eight o'clock that night. The boys hurried to the hotel
where they had left their baggage, and changed their tattered woods
garments for more civilized clothing. There was time to eat a
civilized supper, with bread and vegetables and jam,--almost forgotten
luxuries,--and time also to send a telegram to Maurice Stark.

They carried the cage of foxes to the hotel with them, for they were
determined henceforth not to let the animals out of their sight for a
moment. The unusual spectacle of the three boys with their burden
attracted much attention, and when the contents of the cage became
known, nearly the whole population of the village assembled to have a
look.

The crowd followed them to the depot, and saw the foxes put into the
baggage-car. They had secured permission for one of them to ride with
the cage and stand guard, and the boys took turns at this duty. The
other two tried to snatch a few hours of rest in the sleeper; but the
berths seemed stifling and airless. Accustomed to the open camp, they
could not sleep a wink, and were rather more fatigued the next morning
than when they had started. It was still four hours to Toronto, but
they reached the city at noon. Macgregor was standing the last watch
in the baggage-car, and as Fred and Horace came down the steps of the
Pullman they saw Maurice Stark pushing through the crowd.

"What luck?" Maurice demanded anxiously, lowering his voice as he shook
hands. "Did you find the--the--?"

"Not any diamonds," replied Fred, with a laugh