doing it."

CHAPTER XIV.

CHANCE NEWS.

Billie and the doctor were indeed in something of a quandary as to what
to do about Phoebe's father. It was evident from further inquiry that
the tide of general opinion had been turned against Crazy Frenchy; not
one soul could be interested in the search for him, not even after an
offer of liberal pay.

"He ain't no good anyhow," one man said. "He and his daughter holds
themselves above common people even when they don't have enough to keep
body and soul together. They lives on property that ain't theirs by
rights, and they don't belong in this section of the country. The
father's crazy and the neighborhood will be glad to git rid of him."

"An' I'd jes' like to mention," added another man, "the people as takes
up for 'em ain't goin' to find it no ways a easy proposition."

Certainly Lupo had enlisted the sympathies of the entire village in his
own behalf.

"I told your friend at the hotel a moment ago," said the doctor, "that
he and Lupo had better be careful how they meddled in this business. If
you don't want to engage yourself to me to find this unfortunate man,
you have a perfect right to refuse. It's only a common act of kindness
at any rate. But I would warn you that if you and your friends intend to
make trouble, you will get into trouble. That's all."

The mountaineer scowled.

"We can prove he set Razor Back on fire," he said. "He was seen in the
neighborhood prowling about with a can of oil yesterday morning."

"At what time?" demanded Billie quickly.

"I don't know the exact hour, lady, but it was some time in the
forenoon."

"Well," ejaculated Billie angrily, "that shows how much evidence you
have to go upon. There's not a word of truth in it and you have no right
to spread that wicked report founded on a falsehood. Mr. French was at
Sunrise Camp just about that time and he couldn't have got anywhere near
Razor Back Mountain in hours. We have a witness to prove what we say."

"It may not have been forenoon, come to think of it," said the man
doggedly.

"Nonsense," exclaimed the exasperated Billie, as the "Comet" dashed away
with a contemptuous honk-honk, leaving the defeated mountaineer standing
in the middle of the road.

Only one person was awake in all the camp when the doctor and Billie
returned: Alberdina, busy ironing pink-tinted clothes in the lean-to.
Miss Campbell and the girls were napping on the upper porch and Phoebe
still sle