CHAPTER XXVIII THREE BOYS AND THREE DOGS
"Are you all right, Jack?"
"Yes."
"How about you, Pep?"
"As right as a button. Say, that was a ride worth talking about, wasn'tit?"
"I should say it was," said the young major. "I must say, though, Ishouldn't care for another like it."
"It suits me to a T!" cried Andy. "I don't know but what I'd like to bea balloon acrobat."
The weight of the big balloon made the upper branches of the tree bendfar down, while a few of them were broken. Fearing the whole top of thetree might snap off, the three cadets climbed down with caution untilthey reached the ground.
"Here we are, safe and sound!" cried Andy, doing a handspring, just towork off his high spirits.
"Don't crow, Andy; we are not yet out of the woods," returned Jack, witha faint smile.
"It seems to me we are much in the woods," came from Pepper, as he gazedaround. "I must confess I haven't the least idea where we are."
"I know," said Jack, dryly.
"Where?"
"On the ground. There, that pays you back for telling me we were in theair awhile ago."
"We must have sailed seven or eight miles at least," said Andy."Remember, the breeze was a pretty fair one."
"I thought we came about fifty miles," answered Pepper. "And we seemedto be about five miles high."
"You couldn't live at five miles, you know that," answered Jack,quickly. "Science teaches that----"
"Oh, bother science, unless it can connect us with a refreshment stand,"interrupted Pepper. "I am awfully dry, and hungry too."
They gazed around them. On all sides was the tall timber. The ground wasvery uneven and rocky in spots. Some of the rocks were damp, but theycould not locate any spring or brook.
"The first thing to do is to get out of this woods," said Jack. "Thenperhaps we can strike a farmhouse and get some refreshments. I am nothungry, but I'd like to have a drink of cold water."
"Maybe you'd refuse a nice piece of pie?" said Pepper, sarcastically."Or some fresh doughnuts?"
"Stop, Pep!" cried Andy. "I am getting hungry now. Come on!"
"Where to?"
"Out of the woods."
"Which way?"
That was the question, and the three cadets stared around themhelplessly.
"By the sun the lake must be in that direction," said Jack. "Let us tryto reach the water. Perhaps we can hail some passing boat."
The others agreed, and leaving the balloon where it was, they made theirway among the tall trees for a distance of several rods.
"Hullo! here's a road!" cried Andy. "This must lead to somewhere. We arein luck."
"But it doesn't lead down to the lake," said Jack.
However, it was decided to follow the road for awhile, which seemed topass from the woods quarter of a mile further on. Then they came to anapple orchard, but, of course, none of the apples were ripe.
"Hark! I hear some dogs approaching!" ejaculated Jack, a few minuteslater. "I hope they are not unfriendly."
"They are bulldogs!" came from Pepper. "Say, I don't like this at all!"
"Nor I," added Andy, as the dogs came closer. There were three bulldogs,all of large size, and each looked particularly savage.
The three boys did not know what to do, but as the bulldogs came closer,Andy ran for a nearby tree. The others followed, and all got up into thetree just as the animals reached the vicinity.
The dogs were baying loudly, and as they gathered under the tree, theysnapped and snarled in anything but a pleasant fashion. They hadevidently run quite a distance, for they looked hot.
"Here's a pretty kettle of fish," remarked Jack. "We got out of onedifficulty only to tumble into another."
"Thanks, but I don't want to tumble just now," answered Pepper, with ashake of his head. "I don't think those brutes would like anythingbetter than to chew us up."
"I wonder if I can beat them off with a stick?" said Andy, beginning tocut off a tree-bough with his pocketknife.
"I don't think so, but you can try it," answered the young major.
The stick was cut and Andy let himself down to a lower limb. He hit oneof the dogs just once. Then the animal made a leap, caught hold of thestick, and had not Andy let go he would have been jerked to the ground.As it was he swung clear around the limb and only his acrobatic skillsaved him.
"Don't you try that again," warned Pepper.
"Don't think I will. Gosh! he almost had me; didn't he?"
The dogs made themselves at home under the tree, lying down, but keepingtheir eyes fixed on the prisoners. The moment one of the lads movedthere would be a growl from below.
"They'd make good camp guards, if they were trained," said Pepper, witha sorry kind of a grin.
"This is no laughing matter," expostulated Jack.
"Don't think I'm laughing. I'd give a week's spending money to be out ofthis right now."
"Ditto here," said Andy.
A half-hour went by and still the dogs remained at the foot of the tree.Occasionally one would walk around a bit and growl, but that was all.The boys tried everything they could think of to chase the brutes away,but without avail.
"I think I see somebody coming!" said Andy, later on. He had climbed tothe top of the tree to make observations.
"Let us yell for help," suggested Pepper, and all three immediately setup as loud a shout as their lungs would permit. At first there was noreply, but then a faint hello came back, and Andy saw the man runningtowards them.
"If he owns the dogs he'll aid us," said the acrobatic youth.
"Yes, but if he doesn't what is he to do?" asked Jack, quickly. "Weought to warn him."
Again they set up a shout:
"Look out for the dogs!"
"What's that?" asked the man, coming to a halt.
"Look out for the dogs."
"Three bulldogs?"
"Yes."
"That's all right--the dogs are mine."
"Good enough," murmured Jack. "Now we'll get some help, I hope."
The man came nearer. He was dressed in a riding-suit and carried a shortwhip in one hand. As he came closer the bulldogs ran towards him in afriendly way.
"Say, do you know who he is?" asked Jack, suddenly.
"Who?" asked the others.
"Haverick, the horse-dealer--the man who owned the dog I shot while wewere at target practice."