Meanwhile the pattering footfalls in the other apartment continued.
They seemed to be coming nearer, and there was a panting, as though
someone had run far, and was breathing hard.

CHAPTER XVII

IN THE WOODS

"What--what can it be?" faltered Ruth, as she clung to her sister.

"I--I don't know," answered Alice, and her voice was far from steady.
"I wish we hadn't come in here."

"So do I!" Ruth confessed.

Nearer and nearer came the footfalls. Now the girls were able to
distinguish that they were made by some four-footed beast, and not by
a human being, for the sound came in a peculiar rhythm that was
unmistakable. Also there could be heard a panting, sniffing sound,
that could only be made by some beast.

"Oh, if it's a _bear_!" gasped Ruth.

"Silly!" chided Alice. She was less nervous now, for she realized,
with Ruth's remark, that there were no savage beasts in that part of
the country.

"Maybe it's only a cat," Alice suggested, after a moment.

"It's too big and heavy for a cat," objected Ruth. "Oh, there it is!"
she suddenly cried, pointing to the doorway between the two rooms,
and, looking, Alice saw a tawny animal standing looking at them in
the fast falling darkness.

"It's only a dog!" cried Alice, in joyous relief. "A fine dog! Come
here, sir!" she called, for Alice could make friends with almost any
animal.

But this dog, though he barked in a friendly fashion, and wagged his
tail as a flag of truce, would not come nearer. He sniffed in the
direction of the girls and then, with another bark, turned and ran
out toward the entrance door.

"Come on!" called Alice. "It has stopped raining, Ruth, and maybe
that dog will follow us home. He'll be fine protection!"

Ruth was not at all averse to having some sort of guardian on the
walk through the lonely woods, but when she and Alice reached the
outer room the dog, with a last look back, and a farewell bark,
trotted off across the glade in the direction taken by the strange
man with the umbrella.

"He's gone!" exclaimed Alice, in disappointment. "Come back!" she
invited. "Come back, sir!" and she whistled in boyish fashion. But
the dog was not to be enticed, and was soon lost in the woods.

"Maybe he belonged to that man," suggested Ruth, "and came here
looking for him. What sort of a dog was it, Alice?"

"A collie. The same kind Mrs. Delamont lost in the train wreck, you
know."

"Oh, maybe it was her prize animal, Alice!"

"How co