low tone, "Ollie was a settin' like this, all
still; just a smokin' and a watchin' the moonlight things that was
dancin' over the tops of the trees down there." Then leaping to
his feet the boy ran a short way along the ledge, to come stealing
back, crouching low, as he whispered, "It come a creepin' and a
creepin' towards Ollie, and he never knowed nothin' about it. But
Matt he knowed, and God he knowed too." Wonderingly, the girl
watched his movement. Suddenly he sprang to the rock again, and
facing the imaginary beast, cried in childish imitation of a man's
deep voice, "Get out of the way. This here's my fight." Then in
his own tones, "It was sure scared when Young Matt jumped on the
rock. Everything's scared of Matt when he talks like that. It was
mad, too, 'cause Matt he wouldn't let it get Ollie. And it got
ready to jump at Matt, and Matt he got ready for a tussle, and
Ollie he got out of the way. And all the moonlight things stopped
dancin', and the shadow things come out to see the fight." He had
lowered his voice again almost to a whisper. Sammy was breathless.
"Bang!" cried the lad, clapping his hands and shouting the words;
"Bang! Bang! God, he fired and all the guns in the hills went off,
and that panther it just doubled up and died. It would sure got
Ollie, though, if Matt hadn't a jumped on the rock when he did.
But do you reckon it could o' got Matt, if God hadn't been here
that night?"

It was all too clearly portrayed to be mistaken. "Sammy needn't be
afeared," continued Pete, seeing the look on the girl's face. "It
can't come back no more. It just naturally can't, you know, Sammy;
'cause God he killed it plumb dead. And Pete dragged it way over
on yon side of the ridge and the buzzards got it."

CHAPTER XXIX.

JIM LANE MAKES A PROMISE.

Sammy went home to find her father getting supper. Rushing into
the cabin, the girl gave him a hug that caused Jim to nearly drop
the coffee pot. "You poor abused Daddy, to come home from work,
all tired and find no supper, no girl, no nothing. Sit right down
there, now, and rest, while I finish things."

Jim obeyed with a grin of appreciation. "I didn't fix no taters;
thought you wasn't comin'."

"Going to starve yourself, were you? just because I was gone,"
replied the girl with a pan of potatoes in her hand. "I see right
now that I will have to take care of you always--always, Daddy
Jim."

The smile suddenly left the man's face. "Where's Ollie St