ion. Almost invariably, however, a pair of bright
eyes set in a masked face would be watching from some place of
concealment and the dog would no sooner turn his back than the
mischievous Ringtail would dig up the treasure. Pal generally discovered
him in time to save the bone and the friendship appeared not to suffer
in the least.

Once Pal, in his turn, owed his life to his friend. At dusk the two
wandered together into the borders of the wilderness. While Ringtail was
catching mice, Pal went on by himself. Early that spring a lynx had
taken up its abode in a rocky cave not far from the Hermit's clearing,
and several times had watched hungrily as Pal trotted through the
forest. Pal had always been accompanied by the Hermit and, though the
lynx could see no gun, it was suspicious of mankind and dared not
attack. Now, however, it found the dog alone and unprotected.

Without a sound the beast crouched and leaped. As it sprang, however, a
sound deflected its attention and the leap fell short, the long claws
raking cruelly across the dog's unprotected back, but causing no fatal
injury. Pal uttered a howl of terror and pain and, before the big cat
could launch itself again, a raging whirlwind of claws and teeth
descended upon its back.

Ringtail, at his hunting not far away, had heard the agonized cry of his
playmate and the sound had filled him with rage. Now, perched upon the
back of the astonished lynx, he bit and tore, holding his place in spite
of the animal's frantic efforts to dislodge him. At length, cowed and
exhausted and with bleeding flanks, the lynx was glad to escape to its
den. From that time on it showed no interest in either dog or raccoon.

Late summer came, with a full moon flooding the world with its silvery
radiance. The nights were almost as bright as the days and seemed to
hold a witchery which ran like fire in the veins of the forest folk.
Ringtail slept in his log house the greater part of the day but was
seldom to be found about the clearing at night. He was round, full-fed,
and jolly.

[Illustration: Ringtail had heard the agonized cry of his playmate.]

One night the Hermit fell asleep thinking of Ringtail. As he slept, he
dreamed of walking in the forest and of hearing the distant barking of
dogs. Louder and louder grew the sound until suddenly he awoke to find
that it had not all been a dream. So close at hand as to startle him, he
heard a wild clamor in which he could distinguish Pal's