g of the
hint which he was to convey to Herb about the rifle, when he became
aware that Doctor Phil was pinching his shoulder, and saying, while he
drew Neal's attention in the same way:--

"Well, you fellows! I'm glad to have known you. If you ever come to
Maine again, remember that there's one old forest fogy who'll have a
delightful welcome for you in his house or camp, not to speak of the
thing he calls his heart. And I hope you'll keep a pleasant corner in
your memories for our Pine Tree State, and for American States
generally, so far as you've seen them."

Dol tried to answer; but recalling the evening when, wrecked at heart,
with stinging feet, he had stumbled at last into the trail to Doc's
camp, he could only mutter, "Dash it all!" and rub his leaking eyes.

"Of course I'll think in an hour from now of all the things I want to
say," began Neal helplessly, and stopped. "But I'll tell you how I feel,
Doc," he added, with a sudden rush of breath: "I think I can never see
your Stars and Stripes again without taking off my hat to them, and
feeling that they're about equal to my own flag."

"Neatly put, Neal! I couldn't have done it better," laughed Cyrus.

"Shake!" and Doc offered his hand in a heart-grip, while the hairs on it
bristled. "Boy! long life to that feeling. You men who are now being
hatched will show us one day what Young England and Young America, as a
grand brotherhood under comrade flags, can do to give this old earth a
lift which she has never had yet towards peace and prosperity. We're
looking to you for it!"

"Hur-r-r-rup!" cheered Herb, subduing his shout to the requirements of a
settlement, but sending his battered hat some ten feet into the air, and
recovering it with a dexterous shoot of his long arm, by way of giving
his friends an inspiring send-off.

"Tell you what it is!" he said suddenly, turning upon the Farrars, "I
never guided Britishers till now; but, wherever you sprung from, you're
clean grit. If a man is that, it don't matter a whistle to me what
country riz him."

A few minutes afterwards, with a jingle, jangle, lurch, and rattle, the
stage-coach was swaying its way out of Greenville. Dol, stooping from
his seat upon it, gripped the guide's hand in a wringing good-by.

"Herb," he said, "we three fellows want you to stay here for a few days,
and not to do anything about a second-hand rifle until you hear from us.
Mind!"

And so it happened that, ten days or so later, w