Tige, however, combined his strength with his intelligence. He seemed to sense that the bog would drag him down to death and, by an almost impossible leap, succeeded in landing close to the foot of the first tree at which the children had halted. From there he alternately plunged and plowed his way, his loud bays echoing through the swamps in a manner to strike terror to the ears of anyone who chanced to be fleeing before him. For the first time the children manifested some degree of nervousness. They had for so long lived in fear of everyone and everything connected with the Grimes establishment that the thought of pursuit from that quarter was in itself alarming. Mollie strove to reassure the frightened little ones. Tige, she reminded them, had kept singularly quiet all during their departure that morning. Once she had even heard him whine, as if he would like to come with them. "I reckon he's sick o' bein' cooped up in thet leetle dog house an' not' lowed ter run no furder'n th' rope he's tied with," she said, cheerfully. "I s'pose he thinks now she's gi'n him a chanst he wants ter run away with we-uns. He's jist hollerin' thet-a-way ter let we-uns know he's a-comin'. Mebbe 'twould be better ef us h'isted ourselfs up inter this hyar tree an' set a spell ter wait fer him." Mollie was not quite sure just how Tige would behave. It would be wise, she thought, to get the children out of harm's way. But before they could act upon her suggestion, she glanced down into the sluggish water that lay beyond and almost swooned at the fearful object which loomed directly ahead. CHAPTER XXIV NEW TERRORS "Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and dragon shalt thou trample under feet."--Ps. xci, 13 Shriek after shriek rent the air. The children, too, had glimpsed the hideous black creature lying half-imbedded in mud. A few inches more and Mollie would have stepped upon it. "Oh, look!" they cried. The creature was moving. It was coming toward them. It was raising its horrible head and opening its mouth. "Oh! Oh! Hit will bite off Mollie's legs--" "Hit'll swaller some on us whole--" "Oh, Mollie, whut es hit--whut es hit?" Panic seized them as they scrambled for safety along the low-over-hanging limb of the tree Mollie had just indicated. But Mollie did not know what the creature was. She had never even seen a picture of so terrifying an object. Her face went white under its coating of tan and mud. Her knees shook. Her heart seemed to leap into her throat. She was powerless to move. Her arms fell limp at her sides and her teeth chattered. "Quick, Mollie! He'll git yo', shore."