blindly then, quick
as a panther, he leaped through the hole in the farther wall, wriggled
swiftly into the blind crevices of the inner cave, and was gone.

It was Trench who dressed Vic's head that night and shielded him until
his strength returned. But it was Bond Saxon who counseled patience.

"Don't squeal to the sheriff now," he urged. "The scoundrel is gone, and
it would make a nine days' hooray, and nothing would come of it. He was
darned slick to take the time when Funnybone was away."

"Why?" Vic asked.

But Bond would not tell why. And Vic never dreamed how much cause Bond
Saxon had to dread the day when Tom Gresh should be brought into court,
and his own great crime committed in his drunken hours would demand
retribution. So Lagonda Ledge and Sunrise knew nothing of what had
occurred. Burleigh had no recourse but to wait, while Bug buttoned
up his lips, as he had done for Burgess out at Pigeon Place, and
conveniently "fordot" what he chose not to tell. But he wandered no more
alone about the pretty by-corners of Lagonda Ledge.

CHAPTER XIV. THE DERELICTS

_I dimly guess from blessings known
Of greater out of sight,
And, with the chastened Psalmist, own
His judgments, too, are right.

I know not what the future hath
Of marvel or surprise,
Assured alone that life and death
His mercy underlies_.
--WHITTIER

IT was early spring before Dr. Fenneben returned to Lagonda Ledge.
Everybody thought the new line on his face was put there by the death
of his brother. To those who loved him most--that is, to all Lagonda
Ledge--he was growing handsomer every year, and even with this new
expression his countenance wore a more kindly grace than ever before.

"Norrie, your uncle was a strange man," Fenneben declared, as he and
Elinor sat in the library on the evening of his return. "Naturally, I am
unlike my stepbrothers, but I have not even understood them. There
were many things I learned at Joshua's bedside that I never knew of the
family before. There were some things for you to know, but not now."

"I can trust you, Uncle Lloyd, to do just the right thing," Norrie
declared.

The new line of sadness deepened in Lloyd Fenneben's face.

"That is a hard thing to do sometimes. Your trust will help me
wonderfully, however," he replied. "My brother in his last hours made
urgent requests of me and pled with me until I pledged my word to carry
out his wishes. Here's