"

"A very great deal, my boy. Listen! I know Tad Kieser better than any man
alive, and of all the men I ever knew, Tad is the strangest. I believe he
owns a half interest in this property, does he not? But he hasn't been
near it for half a dozen years, and to my knowledge he has never been
inside of it since the day of the accident. What's more, my boy, there's
just one thing in all the world that could ever induce him to enter it
again--"

"What is the one thing?" questioned Ham.

"If it wasn't for the advice of old Ben here, I would not be here to-day,
either; but Ben and I have been friends these twenty years, and in that
time I have learned to know that Ben's opinions are expressed only after
a very careful consideration of all the facts. I'm here because Old Ben
insisted that I come."

Willis turned and looked at Ben. He stood by, smiling and puffing away at
his pipe. "But what has all that to do with Tad Kieser?" questioned
Willis a little disappointedly. "Of all the men in the world I would like
most to see, it's Tad. Tell me where he is, if you know."

"But why do you want to see him so badly, may I ask?" questioned the
stranger.

"Because he is the only man in the world that can straighten out a tangle
of things that I don't understand. And I'm sure that if he knew I was
here, he'd come to help me."

Old Ben came to the rescue.

"Boy, Tad would do anything in the great, wide world fer ye. He's talked
about ye every tarnal day since he first seen ye, an' they ain't been
nothin' in his mind since, except yer welfare. Ye are a tarnal lucky
feller to have such a friend."

"Saw me?" questioned Willis. "Tad Kieser saw me?"

"Yes, boy, an' is a lookin' at ye now, an' is out in this cold here fer
ye this mornin', a breakin' of vows he made long ago. Tad, tell the boy
all about it. This young feller an' me is goin' to look up that tarnal
dog." He took Ham by the arm and drew him away down the trail out of
hearing. Tad and Willis were busy at the lock of the old tunnel. Old Ben
explained the situation to Ham as they leisurely hunted the dog. At last
Ham understood, and was happy for Willis.

"My, but you look pert, Tad. I ain't seed ye look so pert in ten year.
What's up? Come, tell a feller. Has that young'un been stuffin' ye while
we was gone?" and Ben laughed a merry laugh.

"Why didn't you tell me you were Tad the first day?" questioned Willis,
his eyes shining with pleasure.

"I'll tell you why som