h the fumes of the Still.

Once Polly halted, and drew their attention to a light far down.

"Thet's yer fire," was what she said, simply; and both Bob and Thad
allowed their gaze to fall upon the flicker with a sense of deep
satisfaction; for they knew that they were about to prove to be
messengers of good tidings to those tried and true comrades so anxiously
awaiting their return.

Thad forgot that his feet burned, and that his muscles cried out in
protest against such unusual exertion; the thing that had happened was
of so wonderful a nature that every time he thought about it he told
himself he ought to consider himself equal to the task of walking up and
down hill all the remainder of the night, without a single groan or
falter.

Now they were evidently drawing nearer the lower part of the mountain.
Glimpses they caught of the camp-fire told them this good news. Besides,
Thad really began to recognize his surroundings.

And he was not so very much surprised when Polly suddenly stopped and
pointing to the rock at her feet, remarked:

"Hit war right thar, dad, as I got cort by ther foot; an' on thet ledge
yonder ther cat squatted, agrowlin' and spittin' like the Ole Nick, and
meanin' tuh jump right on me. See, hyars a stick thet helped tuh beat
him off. An' as yuh knows, 'twar this same boy, Thad they calls 'im, as
dun fixed Uncle Cliff up, so's Nate an' Tom, they cud fotch him acrost
tuh ther doc. Reckon we ort tuh do all we kin ter show 'em ther Dady
fambly hes gut feelins."

"Shore we ort, gal, an' we's agwine tuh do thet same," declared Old
Phin.

"We don't doubt it," said Thad, more or less affected by these evidences
of gratitude on the part of the mountaineer and his daughter. "What I
did was only a little thing you know, that could hardly count."

"But hit saved Cliff's life, an' thet meant sumthin' foh him," the girl
continued, with a shake of her tousled head. "Come erlong, an' let's git
down thar. Reckons as how a cup o' coffee'd taste right good tuh yuh
dad."

"Coffee!" echoed Mr. Quail, as though the very sound of the word touched
his inmost feelings; "it'll seem like nectar for the gods just to smell
it again, after--but no matter, it was the best they had, and I oughtn't
to say anything."

All the same Thad noticed that his steps quickened a little, and he
seemed to sniff the air from time to time, as if in imagination he could
already catch a faint whiff of the treat in store for him.