eak with my brother, now quickening my
steps that I might sooner wish him all the joy a brother should. A few
dogs greeted me and then Tip, calmly smoking as though it were my usual
time to be about of a morning.

"You are going over the mountain, Tip?" said I.

"Yes," he answered, throwing open the gate. "This is the last Six
Stars will see of me. I'm done. The missus was a-yammerin' and
a-yammerin' all day yesterday. If it wasn't this, it was that she was
yammerin' about. Says I, 'I'm done. I'm sorry,' says I, 'but I'm
done.' At the first peek of day I starts over the mountain. This is
as fur as I've got. You've kep' me waitin'."

"Me--I've kept you waiting?" I cried. "Do you think I'm going over the
mountain, too?"

"No," said Tip, with a grim chuckle. "You ain't married. You've
nothin' to run from, 'less you've been yammerin' at yourself; then the
mountain won't do you no good. I didn't figure on your company, but
Tim kep' me."

"Is Tim out at this hour?" I asked.

"At this hour?" Tip retorted. "You'll have to get up earlier to catch
him. He's gone--up and gone--he is."

I sat down very abruptly on the door-step. "Tim gone?" I said.

"Gone--and he told me to wait and say good-by to you--to tell you he'd
set late last night for you, till he fell asleep. He was sleepin' when
I come, Mark. I peeped in the window and there he was, in that chair
of yours, fast asleep. I rapped on the window and he woke up with a
jump. He was off on the early train, he said, and had just time to
cover the twelve mile with that three-legged livery horse that brought
him out. He was awful put out at not findin' you. He thought you was
in bed, but you wasn't, and I told him mebbe you'd gone up to the
Warden's to lend a hand with Weston."

For the first time Tip eyed me inquisitively.

"I was up the road," I said evasively. "But tell me about Tim--did he
leave no word?"

"He left me," said Tip, grinning. "He hadn't time to leave nothin'
else. We figgered he'd just cover that twelve mile and make the train.
That's why I'm here. As we was hitchin' he told me particular to wait
till you come; to tell you good-by; to tell you he'd watched all
night--waited and waited till he fell asleep."

"And overslept in the morning so he had no time to drop me even a
line--I understand," said I. "And now, Tip, having performed your
duty, you are going over the mountain?"

"To Happy Walley," Tip cried, lifting the s