ped that death."

"What's he talking about, Dad?" whispered John, anxiously, as he watched
the officer take notes.

Then in as few words as possible, the boys were told all about the
land-slide on Grizzly that had, most likely, buried Choko's Find under
tons and tons of debris--maybe, hid it completely again for all time.

They sat in Simms' office talking over the plans for the morrow when a
large party was to go up Top Notch. As they sat arranging who would be
the best men to take, John interrupted the conversation:

"Isn't that Jeb riding along the road with two led horses?"

"Sure enough! Your mother must have remembered I had but one mount, and
so Jeb was hurried here with extra horses for you," replied Mr.
Brewster, running to the door and hailing his man.

On the way to Pebbly Pit, Tom rode alongside Mr. Brewster while John
rode beside Jeb. The two latter riders had much to say to each other,
for John had been Jeb's particular charge when the hired man first went
to work at Pebbly Pit. Now John was a head taller than his erstwhile
guardian, even if he was much the younger.

Jeb acted very morose and absentminded; instead of giving sensible
replies to John's questions about the avalanche, he would mutter and say
inconsequent things. Finally John said:

"Well, it must have been a narrow escape, anyway."

"That's just it, John. Ef Ah don't run away from Pebbly Pit she'll git
me!" returned Jeb, greatly troubled.

"I'm talking about that land-slide--what do _you_ mean?" laughed John,
beginning to understand that Jeb was worried over something other than
the Grizzly experience.

"Wh--y--Ah'm meanin' that widder! It's leap-year, you know."

John had never heard about Sary, so he was unprepared to offer any
advice, but he thought best to agree in everything with Jeb, concerning
this particular one, and all "widders" in general.

"Ye-es--siree! That Sary kin ketch any man she starts out to trap. Ef
she laid eyes on enny of them farm-hands at Pebbly Pit, like-as-how she
has on _me_, they'd roll right over and eat from her han's. But, you
see, John, Ah ain't a marryin' man, so Ah wants to escape."

"Jeb, I have a plan! Suppose we get Tom to flirt with Sary and then let
her understand she is fickle, so that you won't consider her for a
mate," whispered John, thinking of the fun he could have by playing this
joke on his friend.

Jeb gave John a scornful look that meant volumes. "D'ye think Sary would
fall fe