"Down, Bruiser--down!" he ordered. "Off Pirate! Away, Madge--get out!"
"There, fellows," he cried, proudly, "what do you think of them? I say they are all right, and they are dying for a run. I reckon they will get it in the morning."
Frank and Jack looked the dogs over critically. Diamond's eyes gleamed and he called Pirate to his feet.
"Here is the old dandy for any sum!" cried the Virginian. "That dog will be in at the death if he can keep a foot under him."
"Pirate is a great hunter," he said; "but he doesn't run away from Madge very often."
For half an hour they looked the dogs over, and then left the kennel.
"I'll have to go into the house, and see what the others think about it," said St. Ives. "Won't you come in, fellows?"
"I'm tired myself," confessed Frank. "I think we'll roll into our beds very soon."
The boys strolled down past the summerhouse, while Kenneth went into the mansion. Through a window Frank and Jack could see the billiard players at work, and they heard Rattleton shout with laughter at some fluke Hodge made.
"It strikes me this is the last round of sport before we get back to the grind," said Jack.
"Yes," said Frank, somewhat sadly; "we've had our summer's whirl, and it's over; but it was fun while it lasted."
Arm in arm, they walked down through the garden. They did not take the gravel path, but kept on the grass. Their feet made no noise, and they were silent, as both were thinking of their varied adventures since starting westward on the bicycle tour.
All at once they heard voices, and stopped suddenly.
"Catch your chance, Bill. A hundred for the boy and two hundred for the man. You do not like either of them, so----"
"Like 'em! Cuss 'em, I hate 'em! I'll do it if I git a good chance."
"That is settled, then. You'd better get away from here, for you don't want to be seen. Good-night."
Frank leaped toward the bushes beyond which the voices sounded. They were thick, and he broke through with difficulty. When he reached the other side, he could hear the sound of running feet in dull retreat, but both men were gone.
Frank started in pursuit, but the ones who were running away seemed to know the turns of the garden walks better than he did, for both got away.