t, an' she forgot all spout the tog after. She hopes the tog
isna lost."

"No fear! Skeny will find his way back. Oh, how stiff and sore I am!
Hark!"

There was a faint whistle from the distance, and Watty leaped up, and,
thrusting his fingers into his mouth, blew an answer.

A couple of minutes later, as the boys stood watching in the direction
from which the sound had come, they made out three figures on the slope
of the mountain. Then these three figures stopped, and began to wave
their caps, and directly after they broke into a trot, and were soon up
by the fire.

"Steve, lad!" cried Captain Marsham. "Thank God, you are safe!"

"Where have you been, boy?" cried the doctor joyfully, as he wrung the
hand the captain had left at liberty. "Why, you have made me a job.
Get some water, my lad," he continued to Watty, and laying down his gun
he began to take out a pocket-book to get sticking-plaster and scissors.

"I'm very glad, Mr Steve," said Johannes quietly. "We thought you were
lost."

While the doctor washed away the marks left by Steve's fall and
carefully applied sticking-plaster the boy told his adventure, Watty
listening again attentively, and now watching the speaker, now the
mountain-side, in full expectation of seeing the bear make its
appearance from one of the gullies; but there was no interruption, and
they heard all.

"You must not leave your friends again, my lad," said the captain. "We
must all be ready to help each other; co-operation is power. Well, how
do you feel now?"

"So stiff I can hardly move," replied Steve.

"Then we must camp here for a few hours. Fortunately we have a little
of the provisions in our satchels. Where's the rest of the meat, my
lad?"

Watty turned more red than usual. "There isna a pit left, sir. Meester
Stevey ate oop a' there wass left."

"Bravo, Steve, my boy!" cried the doctor merrily. "Any one who can eat
well has not much the matter with him."

"I felt starved when I came back," said Steve, colouring. "I couldn't
help it."

Watty looked horribly guilty; but his was not the nature to make a clean
breast of the matter, and he sat furtively watching the little party as
the provisions were brought out; and free from care now, they all began
to eat.

"Here, Watty," said Steve, as soon as he received a portion, "we must
not forget you."

"Na, sir, she couldna eat a pit," cried the lad truthfully, and it was
only by great persuasion that hi