have a
fancy to do a little exploring."

"Waal, hit's sorter round about. I don't guess ye c'n find hit easy."
The man spat as if reluctant to give the information asked, which only
stimulated David all the more to find the spot.

"Keep right on this way, do I?"

"Yas, you keep on fer a spell, an' then you turn to th' right an' foller
the stream fer a spell, an' you keep on follerin' hit off an' on till
you git thar. Ye'll know hit when you do git thar, but th' still's all
broke up."

"Oh, I don't care a rap about the still."

"Naw, I reckon not. Better light an' have dinner 'fore you go on.
Azalie, keep the doc to dinner. I'm comin' in a minute," he called to
his wife, who stood smiling in the doorway.

David willingly accepted the proffered hospitality, as he had often done
before, knowing it would be well after nightfall ere he could return to
his cabin, and rode back to the house.

While Azalea prepared dinner, Hoke sat in the open door and held his
baby and smoked. David took a splint-bottomed chair out on the porch and
smoked with him, watching pleasantly the pride of the young father, who
allowed the tiny fist to close tightly around his great work-roughened
finger.

"Look a-thar now. See that hand. Hit ain't bigger'n a bumble-bee, an'
see how he kin hang on."

"Yes," said David, absently regarding them. "He's a fine boy."

"He sure is. The' hain't no finer on this mountain."

Azalea came and looked down over her husband's shoulder. "Don't do
that-a-way, Hoke. You'll wake him up, bobbin' his arm up an' down like
you a-doin'. Hoke, he's that proud, you can't touch him."

"You hear that, Doc? Azalie, she's that sot on him she's like to turn me
outen the house fer jes' lookin' at him. She 'lows he'll grow up a
preacher, on account o' the way he kin holler an' thrash with his fists,
but I tell her hit hain't nothin' but madness an' devilment 'at gits in
him."

With a mother's superior smile playing about her lips, she glanced
understandingly at David, and went on with her cooking. As they came in
to the table, she called David's attention to a low box set on rockers,
and, taking the baby from her husband's arms, carefully placed him,
still asleep, in the quaint nest.

"Hoke made that hisself," she said with pride. "And Cassandry, she made
that kiver."

Thryng touched the cover reverently, bending over it, and left the
cradle rocking as he sat down at Hoke's side and began to put fresh
butter bet