And then the cry came distinctly, "Git up
thar!"

Tears of joy rained down the boy's face as a covered wagon drawn by
four mules came into view, though he sturdily brushed them aside as
the wagon drove up and halted.

"Hello, thar," called a lusty youthful voice, and the driver, a young
fellow of perhaps nineteen who was mounted on one of the mules, turned
round and saw at a glance the swollen, helpless foot.

"Done up, air ye, Bub? Whar do ye belong anyways?"

Steve knew at once that these people were friends, and told them his
little story.

"I want to git to the city, so's to give the skin to the man thar an'
then I'm goin' to larn to make watches an' things," he concluded.

"Wal, you air a long piece from the city, but we uns kin help ye git
to the railroad and that'll take ye to the city."

Several heads of varying sizes were sticking out of the wagon by this
time, and when Steve had been helped in among the occupants he found
it was a family moving from one little hamlet to another. The husband
and father had recently died and they were going back to their
mother's home to live among her "kin."

The kindly mother at once bound up Steve's injured foot with white of
egg and salt, which she said would "fetch it round all right," and
hearing the empty rumbles of his poor little stomach she said she
didn't believe "thar was a thing inside of it," and proceeded to give
him a good square meal.

Was there ever anything happier than to be driving along the road with
a comfortable foot, a full stomach and in the midst of friends! Steve
had never known greater joy than that moment held. They were a
"happy-go-lucky" family he had fallen in with,--and for the first time
in his life he was in the midst of the merry banter of children. The
mountain folk of remote regions lack a sense of humour, and Steve had
grown up entirely alone, the cabins of Hollow Hut being scattered, so
he sat through the afternoon in a maze of delight. There were snickers
and giggles, punching in the ribs and tickling of toes from these
children who lived on the border of civilization, for Steve had really
gone blindly towards his goal.

As they drove gaily along Steve heard a sudden rumbling which
suggested thunder, the children cried, "The train, the train," and
stopping the mules quickly the big brother who was driving jumped
down, while three of the children sprang out with a bound and all
grasped the bridles at their heads. It was done