tion of spirits or energy. He was still more surprised when he
found it a mountain road, and that the house lay well up on the ascent
of the pass. Autumn was visible only in a few flaming sumacs set
among the climbing pines, and here, in a little clearing to the right,
appeared the dwelling he was seeking.

"Tribbses," or "Tribbs's Run," was devoted to the work of cutting
down the pines midway on a long regularly sloping mountain-side, which
allowed the trunks, after they were trimmed and cut into suitable
lengths, to be slid down through rude runs, or artificial channels, into
the valley below, where they were collected by teams and conveyed to the
nearest mills. The business was simple in the extreme, and was carried
on by Tribbs senior, two men with saws and axes, and the natural laws of
gravitation. The house was a long log cabin; several sheds roofed with
bark or canvas seemed consistent with the still lingering summer and the
heated odors of the pines, but were strangely incongruous to those white
patches on the table-land and the white tongue stretching from the ridge
to the valley. But the master was familiar with those Sierran contrasts,
and as he had never ascended the trail before, it might be only the
usual prospect of the dwellers there. At this moment Mr. Tribbs appeared
from the cabin, with his axe on his shoulder. Nodding carelessly to the
master, he was moving away, when the latter stopped him.

"Is Jackson here?" he asked.

"No," said the father, half impatiently, still moving on. "Hain't seen
him since yesterday."

"Nor has he been at school," said the master, "either yesterday or
to-day."

Mr. Tribbs looked puzzled and grieved. "Now I reckoned you had kep' him
in for some devilment of his'n, or lessons."

"Not ALL NIGHT!" said the master, somewhat indignant at this presumption
of his arbitrary functions.

"Humph!" said Mr. Tribbs. "Mariar!" Mrs. Tribbs made her appearance in
the doorway. "The schoolmaster allows that Jackson ain't bin to school
at all." Then, turning to the master, he added, "Thar! you settle it
between ye," and quietly walked away.

Mrs. Tribbs looked by no means satisfied with or interested in the
proposed tete-a-tete. "Hev ye looked in the bresh" (i. e., brush or
underwood) "for him?" she said querulously.

"No," said the master, "I came here first. There are two other boys
missing,--Providence Smith and Julian Fleming. Did either of them"--

But Mrs. Tribbs had interr