new stable and
they welcomed him with neighs and whinnies and other sounds, the best of
which their vocal cords were capable. The friendship that he had
established with them was wonderful. As the Little Giant truly said, he
could have been a brilliant success as an animal trainer. Perhaps they
divined the great sympathy and kindness he felt for them, or he had a
way of showing it given to only a few mortals. Whatever it may have
been, they began to rub their noses against him, the big horse, Selim,
finally thrusting his head under his arm, while the mules proudly
marched on either side of him as he led the way down to the pasture.

"Ain't it wonderful," said the Little Giant, who saw them from the mouth
of the cavern where he and Boyd were cooking, "the way the boy has with
animals? My mules like me, but I know they'd leave me any minute at a
whistle from young William, an' follow him wherever he went."

"Same way with that horse of mine, Selim. He'd throw me over right away
for Will. He's a good lad, with a clean soul and a pure heart, and maybe
the animals, having gifts that we don't have, to make up for gifts that
we have and they haven't, can look straight into 'em. Do you think,
Giant, that Felton could have had a line on our mine?"

"What's your drift, Jim?"

"Could he have been out here somewhere when the Captain, Will's father,
found it, and have got some hint about its discovery? Maybe he guesses
that Will's got a map, and that's what he's after. He wouldn't have
followed us at such terrible risks, unless he had a mighty big motive."

"That's good reasonin', Jim, an' I think thar's somethin' in your
notion. Ef it's so, Felton will hang on to the chase o' us ez long ez
he's livin', an' fur the present, with Sioux on one side o' us an'
outlaws on the other, I'm mighty glad we're hid away here in so deep a
cut in the mountings."

"So am I, Giant. I think that coffee is boiling now. Call the lad."

"Young William! Young William!" cried the Little Giant. "Don't you dare
to keep breakfus' waitin' the fust mornin' we've moved into our new
home."

After breakfast Will and Bent worked on the cavern, while Boyd went
hunting on the slopes. They cut many poles and made a palisade at the
entrance to the great hollow, leaving a doorway only about two feet
wide, over which they could hang the big bearskin in case heavy wind,
rain or snow came. Then they packed the whole floor of the cavern with
dry leaves, making a