with whom she
might hold communion. The mountain was something more than a mountain to
her. Hundreds of times, when a little child, she had told it her small
troubles, and it had seemed to her that the spirit of comfort dwelt
somewhere near the precipitous summit. As she grew older the mountain
played a less important part in her imagination, but she continued to
regard it with a feeling of fellowship which she never troubled herself
to explain or define.

Nevertheless, she did not step out on the porch to worship at the shrine
of the mountain, or to enjoy the marvelous picture that nature presented
to the eye. She went out in obedience to the shrilly uttered command of
her mother:

"Run, Babe, run! That plegged old cat's a-tryin' to drink out'n the
water-bucket. Fling a cheer at 'er! Sick the dogs on 'er."

The cat, understanding the situation, promptly disappeared when it saw
Babe, and the latter had nothing to do but make such demonstrations as
are natural to youth, if not to beauty. She seized one of the many
curious crystal formations which she had picked up on the mountain, and
employed for various purposes of ornamentation, and sent it flying after
the cat. She threw with great strength and accuracy, but the cat was
gone. The crystal went zooning into the fence-corner where one of the
hounds lay; and this sensitive creature, taking it for granted that he
had been made the special object of attack, set up a series of loud
yells by way of protest. This aroused the rest of the dogs, and in a
moment that particular part of the mountain was in an uproar. Just at
that instant a stalwart man came around the corner of the house. He was
bareheaded, and wore neither coat nor vest. He was tall and well made,
though rather too massive to be supple. His beard, which was full and
flowing, was plentifully streaked with gray. His appearance would have
been strikingly ferocious but for his eyes, which showed a nature at
once simple and humorous--and certainly the strongly molded, square-set
jaws, and the firm lips needed some such pleasant corrective.

"Great Jerusalem, Babe!" cried this mild-eyed giant. "What could 'a'
possessed you to be a-chunkin' ole Blue that away? Ag'in bullaces is
ripe you'll git your heart sot on 'possum, an' whar' is the 'possum
comin' from ef ole Blue's laid up? Blame my hide ef you ain't a-cuttin'
up some mighty quare capers fer a young gal."

"Why, Pap!" exclaimed Babe, as soon as she could contr