two great timber wolves. The girls, terrified as they were, saw at a glance that it would b

he deadly inertia that one experiences sometimes in a night

ve saved themselves. As it was, they had barely time to swing themselves free of the gr

sprang clear of the ground, then slunk into the underbrush, while the other staggered

, there was the sound of running feet coming in their direction an

, extremely agile. The other was a girl, a splendid, big creature

rls, who dropped down quietly from their perches in the trees. The sight of the guns carried by the newcomers had had a tremendously reassuring effec

he prostrate body of the big beast, over which their rescuers

old boy was after, eh? Look, Dad," she added, pointing to where the four horses were still bucking an

ng to smile through a shiver. "It wasn't

n blue eyes in his seamed and wrinkled face,

e other of the girls, "that you purty young girls was out hy

tone was rueful. "We aren't used to this part of the world, yo

ut everywhere through the woods without a gun and only his violin for company; and, somehow or other, the beasts never m

ir fears subsided, listened with interest to

--" Betty interrogated eagerly, "has

shoulders?"

in girl lo

like to see people, you know, and folks round here don't know much about him 'cept that he pla

s eyes as he gazed at his daughter. "He likes her fust rate. She says i

ees that people like me better'n most when they don't at all." As though to change t

asked. "It was your bullet got him. Mine we

he's not wuth the trouble o' skinning an' his meat ain't much good, so I r

ty was before him, hand

"If you and your daughter hadn't happened along

se to you, ma'am. But ef you'll take an old man's advice," he added, as he and his daughter started through the woods i

t," they

place of dangers. Their fingers trembled as they untied the horses, and it was as

at full speed, regardless of rocks and old stumps of trees and trea

evel and red hot in the blazing afternoon sun,

y, as Amy came up abreast of her, "when y

shuddering at the memory of their close escape.

ey did," said Mollie. "I know I couldn't have held on very long where I was, an

lf," retorted Grace

ke about such a thing," she said.

ed it," said Mollie, and at this point Be

calling him the Hermit of Gold Run?" she said. "I'm glad the

en we saw him," said Mollie. "We couldn't have been f

perament,'" said Grace, w

u would think any one who could play the way he can would hate to bury himself in

-you-so air, "I thought there was some mystery about that man, and now you are begi