or mountain climbing.

To a man they trained their cameras upon Teeters, who scowled, displayed
his teeth slightly, and looked ferocious and desperate enough to scare a
baby.

Then his expression changed to astonishment as his eyes fell upon a
passenger that was one of three who, slow in collecting their luggage,
were just descending. A second look convinced him, and he not only let
out a bloodcurdling yell of welcome, but inadvertently slackened the
lines that had been taut as fiddle strings over the backs of the horses.
The leaders jumped over "the Innocent Bystander" before he had time to
use his pickhandle, reared and fell on their backs, where they lay
kicking the harness to pieces.

"You miser'ble horse-stealin', petty larceny, cache-robbin'--" just in
time Teeters remembered that there were ladies present and curtailed his
greeting to Hughie Disston. "Why didn't you let me know you was comin'?"
he ended.

"Wanted to surprise you, Teeters," said Disston, dropping the bags he
carried.

"Yo shore done it!" replied Teeters emphatically, casting an eye at the
writhing mass of horses. "It'll take me an hour or more to patch that
harness!"

"In that event," said the guest from Canton, Ohio, with a relief that
was unmistakable, "it were better, perhaps, that we should go to the
hotel and wait for you."

"It were," replied Teeters. "It's that big yella building with the red
trimmin's." He pointed toward the town with his fringed and beaded
gauntlet. "I'll be along directly, and if I kin, I'll stop and git you."

"Isn't he a character!" exclaimed a lady in an Alpine hat, delightedly.

Teeters wrapped the lines around the brake and descended leisurely.

"Set on their heads, Old Timers"--to the volunteers who were endeavoring
to disentangle the struggling horses--and shook hands with Disston.

"This is Mrs. Rathburn and Miss Rathburn, Clarence--"

Mr. Teeters bowed profoundly, and as he removed his hat his bang fell in
his eyes, so that he looked like a performing Shetland pony.

"Much obliged to meet you, ladies," deferentially. Then to Disston,
darkly:

"I'll take that from you onct, or twict, maybe,--but if you call me
Clarence three times I'll cut your heart out."

Disston grinned understandingly.

Toomey was among those who went to the Prouty House to look at the
"bunch of millionaires" waiting on the veranda, and his surprise
equalled Teeters' at seeing Disston.

"Say, Hughie--I got a deal on that