d soon they
reached a grass-grown road, little traveled, but yet a road. Still
later they came to where four ways crossed, and two of them bore the
marks of many wheels. By sundown the little brook at their side
murmured softly of quiet fields and meadows, and David knew that the
valley was reached.

David was not laughing now. He was watching his father with startled
eyes. David had not known what anxiety was. He was finding out
now--though he but vaguely realized that something was not right. For
some time his father had said but little, and that little had been in a
voice that was thick and unnatural-sounding. He was walking fast, yet
David noticed that every step seemed an effort, and that every breath
came in short gasps. His eyes were very bright, and were fixedly bent
on the road ahead, as if even the haste he was making was not haste
enough. Twice David spoke to him, but he did not answer; and the boy
could only trudge along on his weary little feet and sigh for the dear
home on the mountain-top which they had left behind them the morning
before.

They met few fellow travelers, and those they did meet paid scant
attention to the man and the boy carrying the violins. As it chanced,
there was no one in sight when the man, walking in the grass at the
side of the road, stumbled and fell heavily to the ground.

David sprang quickly forward.

"Father, what is it? WHAT IS IT?"

There was no answer.

"Daddy, why don't you speak to me? See, it's David!"

With a painful effort the man roused himself and sat up. For a moment
he gazed dully into the boy's face; then a half-forgotten something
seemed to stir him into feverish action. With shaking fingers he handed
David his watch and a small ivory miniature. Then he searched his
pockets until on the ground before him lay a shining pile of
gold-pieces--to David there seemed to be a hundred of them.

"Take them--hide them--keep them. David, until you--need them," panted
the man. "Then go--go on. I can't."

"Alone? Without you?" demurred the boy, aghast. "Why, father, I
couldn't! I don't know the way. Besides, I'd rather stay with you," he
added soothingly, as he slipped the watch and the miniature into his
pocket; "then we can both go." And he dropped himself down at his
father's side.

The man shook his head feebly, and pointed again to the gold-pieces.

"Take them, David,--hide them," he chattered with pale lips.

Almost impatiently the boy began picking up t