Tito 



shout. Again he sprang at the little one, but 

 again the mother balked him with her own 

 body, and then they closed in deadly struggle. 

 "Oh, if Saddleback would only come ! " But no 

 one came, and now she had no further chance 

 to call. Weight is everything in a closing fight, 

 and Tito soon went down, bravely fighting to 

 the last, but clearly worsted ; and the Hound's 

 courage grew with the sight of victory, and all 

 he thought of now was to finish her and then 

 kill her helpless baby in its turn. He had no 

 ears or eyes for any other thing, till out of the 

 nearest sage there flashed a streak of gray, and 

 in a trice the big-voiced coward was hurled 

 back by a foe almost as heavy as himself— 

 hurled back with a crippled shoulder. Dash, 

 chop, and stanch old Saddleback sprang on 

 him again. Tito struggled to her feet, and they 

 closed on him together. His courage fled at 

 once when he saw the odds, and all he wanted 

 now was safe escape— escape from Saddleback, 

 whose speed was like the wind, escape from Tito, 

 whose baby's life was at stake. Not twenty 

 jumps away did he get ; not breath enough had 

 he to howl for help to his master in the distant /' 



349 <£■&§•'!&>■ ' 



