keezucks, the pup, and Miss Doc, with Mrs. Stowe, came
out through the snow to the road in front of the gate. Not a penny had
the preacher been able to force upon the Dennihans for their lodging
and care.

The man tried to speak--to thank them all, but he failed. He shook
hands "all around," however, and then his shy little wife and the three
little girls did the same. Preacher and all, they kissed tiny Carson,
sitting on the arm he knew so well, and holding fast to his doll; and
he placed his wee bit of a hand on the face of each of his bright-faced
little friends. He understood almost nothing of what it meant to have
his visitors clamber into the carriage, nevertheless a grave little
query came into his eyes.

"Well, Jim, good-bye again," said Stowe, and he shook the old miner's
hand a final time. "Good-bye, Miss Dennihan--good-bye, boys."

With all the little youngsters in their bright red caps waving their
mittened hands and calling out good-bye, the awkward men, Miss Doc, old
Jim, and tiny Skeezucks saw them drive away. Till they came to the
bend of the road the children continued to wave, and then the great
ravine received them as if to the arms of the mountains.

CHAPTER XIX

OLD JIM'S RESOLUTION

All that day little Skeezucks and the pup were waiting, listening,
expecting the door to open and the three small girls to reappear. They
went to the window time after time and searched the landscape of
mountains and snow, Tintoretto standing on his hind-legs for the
purpose, and emitting little sounds of puppy-wise worry at the long
delay of their three little friends.

A number of the men of the camp came to visit there again that evening.

"We thought little Skeezucks might be lonesome," they explained.

So often as the door was opened, the pup and the grave little
pilgrim--clothed these days in the little white frock Miss Dennihan had
made--looked up, ever in the hope, of espying again those three red
caps. The men saw the wistfulness increase in the baby's face.

"We've got to keep him amused," said Field.

The awkward fellows, therefore, began the games, and romped about, and
rode the lonely little foundling in the wagon, to the great delight of
poor Miss Doc, who felt, as much as the pup or Skeezucks, the singular
emptiness of her house.

Having learned to laugh, little Carson tried to repeat the delights of
a mirthful emotion. The faint baby smile that resulted made the men
all qui