ut no kill. Deer jump--run--white boy follow
quick--there--there!"

As he spoke the half-breed rapidly pointed at the various signs that he
had interpreted. They were plain enough to the native eye, and in a
lesser degree to the sight of the Scotsman. But Alf's inexperience could
only distinguish an occasional displacement of the undergrowth, though
he was well content to rely on the opinions of those who were more
versed than he in woodcraft.

Again the rescuers hastened onwards, with Bannock bringing up the rear,
and when at last they came to a part of the bush where the trees were
somewhat fewer, Haggis suddenly stopped and pointed straight in front of
him, exclaiming the one sound--

"Ha!"

Holden was at the native's side in an instant.

"What is it? Where? What do you see?" he exclaimed.

"In middle of grass--see!"

Alf looked, but all that he saw was a head and shoulders that apparently
rested on the grass without any lower limbs. The poor lad was indeed in
the depth of extremity, and he was almost faint with exhaustion.

"Bob!" cried Holden in an agony of distress, and darted for the
clearing.

But he had barely crossed a couple of yards before a pair of strong
hands gripped him and kept him from moving.

"No! No! You dare not--" said Mackintosh; but the lad struggled
frantically to free himself from the powerful grip.

"Let me go! Let me go! Can't you see that Bob is lying hurt?" he cried
frantically.

But the hands did not relax their grasp.

"Wait, laddie," said the man's kindly voice. "Wait, or we'll be having
two lives to account for. Yon's a muskeg--a living bog. It's death to
them that sets a careless foot on yon green grass."

Instantly Alf's struggles ceased, and for the moment he was limp in the
arms that supported him. The horror of learning of his friend's plight
struck him dumb and suspended the power to move.

"Come, come, laddie. You mustn't give in. Your friend's life depends on
your strength."

Mackintosh was a man of the world, whose experience enabled him to be a
good judge of character. And he well knew the sort of counsel that would
inevitably stir all that was best in the boy and lend strength to his
pluck. He judged rightly, for immediately Alf straightened himself with
set lips, steady eyes, and controlled nerves.

"Forgive me," he said quietly. "But it knocked me over to think of
Bob--out there."

"I'm no' blaming you, laddie. But you'll need all your strength now,