d and Frank discussed the situation thor

e it through. The boy who has just been brought in may be the pri

e of looking up the prince. What better plan than the one now working could they have settled on? If they are sharp at all, they

ome distance, too busy keeping upright

our mission here by taking such an interest in the child. Would a lot of boys looking for snap-

nswered, "those two people ahead of us are hon

rrival of Buck. It is much better for us to meet whatever is comin

d Mrs. Brady, who were now turning from the west to the south, keeping along the slop

f which stood a rough cabin of peeled logs. A dim light came from a square window by

p and looked sus

ked. "You didn't tell

ke didn't come! He sent this young fellow in with t

it?" demande

asked me to get you home to-night, becau

to Frank. "If that is the prince in there, the man with him may be the

do about it, then?"

that Mrs. Brady went up the mountain to visit a camp of strangers. We'v

ind them. A log fire was burning on a stone hearth, and a tall, rather handsome y

child of perhaps seven years asleep on a bed in a corner of the small room. Without speaking, without so

e of the bed, swinging him back and forth with a motion of her arms and shoulders. The man at the fire

d, mothering the child. "He's all

said, pointing to the figure by the fire. "A

er?" asked the strange

ur sons, too?" he add

suspi

ering the question. "Mrs. Brady came to our camp tonight looking for her

old lady, sitting with the s

s one,"

rry I haven't my

aining in this section l

. "We may move on to-morrow

and occasionally addressed a word to the old lady. He gave her, briefly, a good

self soon," he said, "

g very nic

bed and laid him gently down. He stirred uneasily in his sleep and

dark. If one of you boys will sit with him a moment," she added, with mountain

by the child. The face was dark and slender, th

?" he was asking himself when the boy

rubbing his sleepy eyes. "What kind o

r by the f

talk," he said. "And h

ing around with th

h like a native,"

?" asked the m

ime. I'm glad I'm with grandmother in the hills. Are you my grandmot

reply. "I'm going to

m g

again and closed his eyes. Fra

it!" his eyes said. "T

mountain tea. The boys were not at all hungry, but

"It will be morning before we get back

and Buck, left the cabin the visitor followed them out.

n said. "I suppose I might do it myself, but I prefer to let her know from per

an?" asked Ned. "He appeare

od people to boss, the attendants in a hospital, you will say, but I guess they let this kid have his way. When he was delirious they told him all sorts of fairy tales about kin

to talk of kings and princes! He was li

e, and not Mike III. But the boy's English, and there's his street

r evidently resolved to make a good impression on the boys, while Frank walke

g. That was a mistake, of course, but he is trying to rectify it now by placing him under th

me since the father le

along

g well in W

ected with the S

mental no

ing a fair sal

ly, far better than his m

ant duty of taking the boy back to the old mountain home to another if

is it Mike III.?" he

n aside and stand at attention, as if waiting for some object, seen in the distance, to come u

ere!" Frank sh

d in a moment caught sight of a tall, lank

Frank. "He's come to tell us that i

d Ned. "Come here,

nally came to an abrupt halt in front of Ned, and stood with ears pit