dling had wandered away by himself, he thought.
Searching and searching, up hill and down, lighting his way through the
brush, the miner went on and on, to leave no spot unvisited. He was
out all night, wandering here and climbing there on the hillside,
pausing now and again to listen and to look about, almost expectantly,
where naught could be seen save the mighty procession of the stars, and
naught could be heard save the ringing of the inter-stellar silence as
the earth swung steadily onward in her course.

Hour after hour of the darkness went by and found him searching still.
With the coming of the morning he suddenly grasped at a startling
thought.

Miss Doc!--Miss Dennihan! She must have stolen his foundling!

Her recent climb to his cabin, her protracted stay, her baffled
curiosity--these were ample explanation for the trick she must have
played! How easily she might have watched the place, slipped in the
moment the cabin was left unguarded, and carried off the little pilgrim!

Jim knew she would glory in such a revenge. She probably cared not a
whit for the child, but to score against himself, for defeating her
purpose when she called, she would doubtless have gone to any possible
length.

The miner was enraged, but a second later a great gush of thankfulness
and relief surged upward in his heart. At least, the little man would
not have been out all night in the hills! Then growing sick in turn,
he thought this explanation would be too good to be true. It was
madness--only a hope! He clung to it tenaciously, however, then gave
it up, only to snatch it back again in desperation as he hastened home
to his cabin.

"Keno, wake up," he cried to his lodger, shaking him briskly by the
shoulder. "Keno! Keno!"

"What's the matter? Time for breakfast?" asked Keno, drowsily, risking
only half an eye with which to look about. "Why not call me gently?"

"Get up!" commanded Jim. "I have thought of where little Skeezucks has
gone!"

"Where?" cried Keno, suddenly aroused. "I'll go and kill the cuss that
took him off!"

"Miss Doc!" replied the miner. "Miss Doc!"

"Miss Doc?" repeated Keno, weakly, pausing in the act of pulling on his
boots. "By jinks! Say, I couldn't kill no woman, Jim. How do you
know?"

"Stands to reason," Jim replied, and explaining his premises rapidly
and clearly, he punched poor Keno into something almost as good as
activity.

"By jinks! I can't believe it," said Keno,