ern to reverberate with what
might have been mistaken, outside, for a species of miniature artillery.

"You've caught cold," suggested March, who gazed in unspeakable
admiration at the magnificent locks and beard of this remarkable man, as
they shook with the violence of his exertion.

"I _never_ had a cold," replied Dick, becoming quiet again; "there's
other things as cause a man for to cough, now and agin', besides colds."

"True," rejoined March; "but you were sayin' somethin'--do you know of
the fight I was speakin' of?"

"Know of it--ay, that do I."

"Why, how did you happen to hear of it?"

"It's wonderful, lad, how I comes to know about things in this part o'
the country. I know everything the Wild Man does. He can't move
without my bein' on his track d'rectly. In fact, I follers him like his
shadow--leastwise, his shadow follers me."

"Indeed," exclaimed March, whose interest in Dick became suddenly
tenfold more deep on learning this. "But why do you follow him about in
this fashion? Does he like your company, or do you only follow him on
the sly, and keep out of sight? Explain yourself, Dick--you puzzle me."

"I can't explain just now, lad," said Dick, rising abruptly. "You
forget that your comrades may be in a fix before now wi' them blackguard
redskins. I must go an' help them. It's but right that white men
should lend one another a helpin' hand in these regions, where the
Injuns have it almost all their own way."

"But the Mountain Fort is far away from this, an' I'm afraid you'll
never be able to get there in time," said March with an anxious
expression of countenance.

"I'll try," returned Dick. "Anyhow, I'll send the Wild Man o' the West
to help them," he added with a peculiar smile. "Now, boy, listen, I
must not waste more time in idle talk. I shall leave you here under the
charge of my little girl--"

"Your little girl!" echoed March in surprise.

"Ay, she ought to have been in before now," continued Dick, without
noticing the interruption, "an' I would like to ha' told her who ye are,
and how I come by ye, an' what to do till I come back. But I can't
wait; time's precious as gold just now; so I'll tell ye what to say to
her when she--"

At that moment a light footstep was heard in the outer cavern. The Wild
Man sprang up on hearing it, and strode hastily through the natural
doorway, leaving March to listen, in a state of the utmost bewilderment,
to a silvery musical voice,