w in house o' mine.
Why, I be plumb s'prised at ye, grandpap."

The tremendous old man rubbed his whiskers faster and hemmed
apologetically. "In course I haint got none ... in the cabin ..." he
glanced quickly at Donald, "an' I didn't mean nothin', Smiles. Come,
swing yo'r cheer erround ter the table, Judd, we'll jest fergit the
eeliments, an' enjoy a dry celebration in the doctor's honor ... all
'cept Judd, he air plenty wet," he added, in a jocose attempt to turn
his mistake into a jest. "Rose hurted her foot, an' doc, he done hit up
fer her real nice."

More bashfully than before, the girl extended the injured member in its
now mud-bedraggled bandage for the newcomer's inspection.

Donald had been watching the scene with quiet amusement over the child's
assurance, and had noticed not only the look of sorrowful resignation on
her grandfather's face, but the dull flush which mounted the swarthy
cheeks of the younger man. Judd's mouth retained the straight line for
some time, but a quick burst of light-hearted song on Smiles' lips, as
she turned to dish up the savory stew, showed that the incident was
forgotten by her as soon as it was ended.

"Better let me lift it down for you," said Donald, as she swung the
crane with its heavy iron kettle from the fire. "We don't want any more
burns here to-night."

He jumped up and acted on the words without giving the matter a thought,
but it seemed to him that the girl's pleased, "Thank ye, sir," was a bit
embarrassed, and that the men regarded him with blank surprise. Not for
a minute did it dawn upon him that his act had not been according to the
code of the mountains.

They were all seated at last, but yet another surprise was in store for
the visitor, for Rose folded her hands, bent her head until the curls
veiled the glowing face, and began a simple blessing. Big Jerry sat bolt
upright with his eyes screwed up ludicrously, and, although Judd bent
his head the merest fraction, it was with obvious embarrassment, and his
flashing optics kept sending suspicious glances at the "furriner" as
though to discover if he were laughing at them all. In fact, nothing was
further from Donald's mind. It had been long since he had partaken of a
meal at which grace was said, but the simple, homely words touched a
chord of memory and made it vibrate to a note which brought both pain
and pleasure.

The host's stentorian "Amen" was the signal for attack, and for a time
the business of s