one of his men, breaking his leg, and leaped
the fence to liberty.

"But--Thunder Mountain?" cried Marion.

"That's the strangest part of it," Smythe replied. "Even Haig refused
at first to believe it. Nobody knows whether it was deliberate or
accidental. It seems that 'Red' Davis, who works for Toumine, was
taking a load of hay to Lake Cobalt. He'd stopped just beyond the
junction of the main road and Haig's to fix the harness or something,
when he heard a furious galloping in Haig's road. He looked--and
Sunnysides must have been something worth seeing, as he came storming
down on the boy, with red eyes and foaming lips, the bridle reins
dangling at his knees, and the stirrups flying. 'Red' had never seen
him, but he'd heard a lot, and he jumped behind the wagon as if the
devil was after him. But the clatter of hoofs ceased suddenly, and the
boy peered around the hay to see what had happened. There was
Sunnysides, just at the junction, with his head high, snorting and
sniffing, first in the direction of the wagon, and then the other way
up the road. With a characteristic boyish burst of daring or deviltry,
'Red' leaped out from his shelter, and yelled. The horse leaped into
the air, let out a wild neigh, and bolted up the road toward the
post-office.

"'Red' watched him until he had disappeared, and then drove on. It
must have been half an hour later that he heard more mad galloping
behind him. He turned to look, and there came Haig, riding like all
fury.

"'Have you seen a horse?' he yelled as he reined up alongside the
wagon.

"'Well I just guess!' said the boy. 'Sunnysides. How did he--?'

"'How was the saddle--loose or not?' asked Haig.

"'No, it hadn't turned--if that's what--'

"'Thank you!' replied Haig, starting on.

"'Wait!' the boy shouted. 'He ain't gone that way!'

"'What?'

"'I say, he ain't gone that way.'

"Haig stared at him suspiciously. Was the boy trying to trick him, in
emulation of his elders? He was about to ride on, disdaining to heed
him, when something in the boy's honest face struck his attention.

"'Are you dreaming?' he cried.

"'No, I ain't!' retorted Davis, deeply offended.

"'Where did he go then?' demanded Haig.

"'Yander,' answered 'Red.'

"Haig was incredulous.

"'It's the truth!' protested the boy. And then he told Haig what he
had seen.

"'But how in hell--' Haig began.

"Then suddenly it came to him.

"'Thunder Mountain!' he cried. Then, half to himsel