fore you can make them," laughed John.

"You are so blind that you only see one pretty girl at Pebbly Pit,
whereas there are four!" exclaimed Tom, smilingly.

"Four! Anne Stewart is one, and Miss Maynard may _consider_ herself
lovely enough for a match--I don't. But mother and Sary will never
consent to your including them in your match-making."

"Hah! I thought so! You are so blind over Anne Stewart, that you fail to
see how your own little sister is growing up to be a stunning miss. Why,
she will be a beauty at twenty, for she is on the high-way there
already."

"Tom!" gasped John. "Wh-y--Polly is only a child!"

"That's what all brothers think of their pretty sisters. Some day, a
fine young fellow will think differently, and you'll want to club him.
But the trouble is, that Polly will think exactly as the handsome man
thinks, and she will not listen to her big brother's advice to remain a
little girl.

"Besides Polly, there is Eleanor Maynard. She, too, is a fine girl and
will grow to wonderful womanhood. Now, John, take more notice of your
'little' sister, for she is what we boys call a 'peach.'"

"Ha, ha, ha! I've never heard you say so much about a girl in my life!
If I didn't _know_ better, I'd say you were half-way in love with Polly,
yourself. But I know what a quitter you are whenever there is a girl in
the party," laughed John.

Tom flushed slightly but made no reply. Before John could tease him any
further, the party reached Four Mile Blaze. Mike tolled off the riders,
and warned each one to give strictest attention to the going as one
misstep meant a crippled horse or a serious accident.

From there on, the men rode through the lodge-pole forest to avoid the
great mass of debris formed of rocks, earth, and torn-up trees that
obstructed the old trail. Simms felt sure his man had escaped in some
miraculous manner, after the avalanche swept him from his feet. But
seeing the mountains of wood-trash that were washed down from the peak
and piled up everywhere, he lost faith.

Still he and his men were bound to make the most of the least hope, so
they sought thoroughly over the side where the two miners had been
discovered, that day. Nothing but trees, rocks, and earth piled in
toppling heaps on the steep slope of the mountain were seen, however.

While Simms and Bill sought over every foot of ground for their missing
friend, Mike led Sam Brewster and his two engineers, down the opposite
slope, to a b