raise her head. She was then within a dozen yards of Howard, he being in
the rear and holding the blanket in his hand. She looked at them with an
alarmed expression in her strange dark eyes, and seemed to be too much
frightened to think of fleeing.

Howard signified his friendship by walking quietly toward her and
holding out the blanket as if inviting her to take it. She readily
comprehended the meaning of his advance, and when the article was within
reach she took it.

"Now make a bargain if you can," called out Elwood.

Howard produced the gold watch--a small hunting-case--and offered it to
the young woman. She examined it with childish curiosity, but in a
manner that showed that it was not the first time she had looked upon
such an article. She held it a for moments, and then with a pleased
smile passed the blanket to him, bowed gracefully, wheeled quickly, and
slipped away charmingly.

"Hurra!" fairly shouted Elwood, "you are as good as Tim at making a
bargain."

"She must live somewhere about here, and no doubt will tell how she got
the watch, and that may set some of her friends on our track."

"Let 'em come," said Tim. "I've a gun that I larned how to shoot, and
that blanket we can wrap around us, and I don't believe you could shoot
a bullet through it by raison of its thickness."

The party resumed their journey, quite jubilant over the rifle and
blanket. They still needed but one thing, or rather two things, guns for
the boys. Terror was such a sharp and faithful sentinel they would have
felt almost safe with these additional fire-arms. Howard and Elwood were
quite confident that they could shoot with remarkable precision,
although, neither had ever aimed or discharged a gun; but in this
respect they were not so very different from other boys.

At noon they made a hearty meal upon a portion of what still remained of
the mountain sheep, and then stretched themselves out for an hour's
rest. Tim O'Rooney was plentifully supplied with tobacco, and perhaps
could not have felt more comfortable or satisfied with his situation. He
lolled on the grass, and wondered whether Mr. Lawrence was anxious for
him to get home or not, finally reaching the conclusion that he was
rather indifferent upon the subject himself. The greatest distress of
Howard and Elwood was the pain that their parents would feel regarding
them; but they hoped to reach home without great delay, when they would
quickly turn their weeping into