f, for he frequently did not
come back after morning, but the second day's absence had brought real
alarm, and when they found his blanket Mirandy said she knew something
had killed and eat him up; she had forgotten about the fox skin which
in that case should also have been there. But Jim Langly set his teeth
grimly and said the boy had gone off "along o' that watch," and he did
not cease to make inquiry as he had opportunity, trying to trace his
son, while he angrily threatened to kill that city man if ever he
"showed up agin in them parts."

IV

A HALT ON THE ROAD

Steve spent a week in the crowded but hospitable cabin of his latest
friends resting the swollen foot. It was not seriously sprained and
would have given him no trouble but for the long tramp upon it the
night before and his general fatigue.

He had an interesting time with this family on the roadside. They were
of the most shiftless type of mountain folk. Life was a long holiday
to them, every meal a picnic. There were too many to gather about the
table in the little log lean-to, so the elders only sat down at meal
times. The children came up shuffling, pushing and squirming good
naturedly to get their portions and ran away again full-handed to sit
on the door-step or flat upon the ground outside while they ate.
Sometimes one ambitious consumer would succeed in disposing of his
viands more rapidly than the others and then woe to some small
delinquent! His food would be snatched away and a lively fisticuff
probably follow during which the inevitable "yaller dog" was usually
the gainer. The disturbance at times reached a height which brought
the mother lazily to the door with a mild:

"Now ef ye alls don't quit fussin', I'll set the boogers arter ye
ter-night," which was a dire and telling threat, for, to the mountain
children, "boogers" meant ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, thieves, or any
other terrible, mysterious creature of the night.

Steve went up to the table with the rest for his portion of food, and
took his chances with the other children if a squabble began.
Association with the children was most enjoyable to Steve. They told
marvellous tales about giants and mountain feuds and the mother's
threat of "boogers" was sure to stir up all their recollections about
ghosts. Wherever there was a "killin'" as the result of a mountain
feud ghosts were sure to congregate and marvellous were the tales
which clustered about each bloody spot. Ste