t is that?"

"Something to drink. Don't you have water in Mo?"

"None that ever I heard of," said he. "But I can give you some fresh
lemonade. I caught it in a jar the last time it rained, which was only
day before yesterday."

"Oh, does it rain lemonade here?" she inquired.

"Always; and it is very refreshing and healthful."

With this he brought from a cupboard a stone jar and a dipper, and the
girl found it very nice lemonade, indeed. Cap'n Bill liked it, too; but
the Ork would not touch it.

"If there is no water in this country, I cannot stay here for long,"
the creature declared. "Water means life to man and beast and bird."

"There must be water in lemonade," said Trot.

"Yes," answered the Ork, "I suppose so; but there are other things in
it, too, and they spoil the good water."

The day's adventures had made our wanderers tired, so the Bumpy Man
brought them some blankets in which they rolled themselves and then lay
down before the fire, which their host kept alive with fuel all through
the night. Trot wakened several times and found the Mountain Ear always
alert and listening intently for the slightest sound. But the little
girl could hear no sound at all except the snores of Cap'n Bill.

Chapter Eight

Button-Bright is Lost and Found Again

"Wake up--wake up!" called the voice of the Bumpy Man. "Didn't I tell
you winter was coming? I could hear it coming with my left ear, and the
proof is that it is now snowing hard outside."

"Is it?" said Trot, rubbing her eyes and creeping out of her blanket.
"Where I live, in California, I have never seen snow, except far away
on the tops of high mountains."

"Well, this is the top of a high mountain," returned the bumpy one,
"and for that reason we get our heaviest snowfalls right here."

The little girl went to the window and looked out. The air was filled
with falling white flakes, so large in size and so queer in form that
she was puzzled.

"Are you certain this is snow?" she asked.

"To be sure. I must get my snow-shovel and turn out to shovel a path.
Would you like to come with me?"

"Yes," she said, and followed the Bumpy Man out when he opened the
door. Then she exclaimed: "Why, it isn't cold a bit!"

"Of course not," replied the man. "It was cold last night, before the
snowstorm; but snow, when it falls, is always crisp and warm."

Trot gathered a handful of it.

"Why, it's popcorn?" she cried.

"Certainly; all snow is popcorn