te with me in the meantime you may address me there. I--"

"What's this? Henpecking your husband again, Grace Harlowe?" teased
Hippy, coming up to them at this juncture.

"Yes, Hip. I am a shining example of a much henpecked husband. What
would you do were you a henpecked husband?" questioned Tom quizzically.
"Come, now!"

"Well," reflected Hippy, "I think that would depend largely upon the
hen."

"You are right," agreed Tom Gray laughingly. "I shall be leaving in the
morning, old man, and I have agreed with Grace to meet the Overland
outfit at Hall's Corners three weeks from to-day, or as near to that
date as possible. We will then make a pilgrimage to the lands of one
Lieutenant Wingate and see what we shall find there. Probably nothing
more than some wild game, a few rattlers and--and some mountaineers,"
added Tom significantly.

"I have been thinking, Tom and Grace, that, should we discover anything
of real value there, the Overland Riders should share in it. This is a
sort of exploration party, and to the discoverers should belong the
spoils," declared Hippy.

Tom shook his head.

"No, no," protested Grace. "It is fine of you to make the offer, but I
could not permit it for myself, and I am positive that the other girls
will not even listen to it."

"You see, Tom, how they spurn me. The instant I get a brilliant thought
they promptly duck it in ice water," complained Hippy.

"We will do this much, we will be your guests when we reach your
domains, and, if you insist on being liberal, you may cook our meals for
us three times a day. However, so far as sharing in your good fortune is
concerned, we can do so only in our hearts," decided Grace with
emphasis.

Grace immediately acquainted her companions with Hippy's unselfish offer
to share with them whatever good fortune might be in store for him in
the Kentucky Mountains.

"That is splendid of Hippy," declared Anne, smiling and nodding.

"I tell him, however, that when we are his guests in the Hippy
Mountains, he can give us three good meals a day, cooked by his own fair
hands, but that is all," announced Grace. "Do I echo your sentiments,
girls?"

They said she did. That is, all except Emma Dean agreed with Grace
Harlowe. Emma warned them that Hippy had better not offer her a share in
anything unless he were prepared in his heart to lose it.

"Very good then, I won't. I withdraw the offer," declared Hippy airily.
"I will agree to cook a meal for yo