by the side of the dog.

"No, Wolf, it is no use your looking at those ducks. I am
not going to roast them if no one comes; I have got half a one
left from dinner." After sitting quiet for half an hour the dog
suddenly raised himself into a sitting position, with ears erect
and muzzle pointed towards the door; then he gave a low
whine, and his tail began to beat the ground rapidly.

"What! do you hear them, old fellow?" the boy said,
leaping to his feet. "I wish my ears were as sharp as yours are,
Wolf; there would be no fear then of being caught asleep.
Come on, old boy, let us go and meet them."

It was some minutes after he reached the edge of the
swamp before the boy could hear the sounds which the quick
ears of the hound had detected. Then he heard a faint splashing
noise, and a minute or two later two figures were seen wading
through the water.

"Welcome back, father," the lad cried. "I was beginning
to be anxious about you, for here we are at the end of the
fourth day."

"I did not name any hour, Edmund," the boy's father
said, as he stepped from the water, "but I own that I did not
reckon upon being so late; but in truth Egbert and I missed
our way in the windings of these swamps, and should not
have been back to-night had we not luckily fallen upon a man
fishing, who was able to put us right. You have got some