ght the critters off, but he told me to 'get!' Said I was needed
here. He's down there yet, maybe dead. Jed Thompson, you ought to get
down on your knees and apologize to these women folk. I've half a notion
to whale you if you don't."

Jed fumbled his hat.

"Who do you-all reckon did the attackin'?" he stammered.

"I don't know. You ought to know more about it than I do. You folks up
here in the hills are altogether too sudden--too handy with your guns.
One of these days you will meet some one who is more so."

"Ah reckons that young woman's kinder sudden, too," answered Jed, with a
sheepish grin at Miss Briggs. "Do you-all say that some critter shot at
that feller when he was fetchin' you-all here for Liz an' Sue?"

"Yes. They may have got him before this."

"Gi' me that rifle!" demanded the mountaineer sternly.

"Wait, Jed. What do you propose to do?" questioned the doctor.

"Ah'm goin' t' fetch the loot'nant, an' Ah'm goin' t' git the feller
that shot you-all up if Ah kin kotch him."

"Take the rifle, Jed, and the best of luck," bowed the doctor, handing
the weapon to the mountaineer, and reaching into his pocket for the
cartridges he had taken from it. "We'll now see what we can do for the
sick."

Jed was out of the house and across the field at top speed by the time
Elfreda had reached the door, after stowing her revolver.

"He is right," nodded Grace, regarding Elfreda with sparkling eyes. "You
_are_ sudden. I did not think it was in you to be so quick."

"Huh! I was scared half to death. It is a wonder I didn't--"

"Of course we take that for granted," twinkled Grace.

The doctor announced that he would stay until the children got better,
all day and night if necessary. There being nothing more for them to do
for the time being, Grace and Elfreda joined their companions outside.

They had not been outside the cabin very long before Emma uttered a
little cry of delight, and excitedly pointed down the trail that led
past the cornfield.

"Look! Oh, look! There comes Hippy and Mr. Thompson. Didn't I tell you I
would fetch Hippy back?" she cried.

"Why, Emma, how is that?" wondered Grace.

"I con-centrated on him, I did, and--"

"She did," glowed Nora, running forward to meet her husband.

"You should open an office when you get home," advised Miss Briggs. "Let
me see, your business sign should read, 'Miss Dean, Imponderable
Concentrator.'"

"Make all the fun you wish. I know now what I can d