f the mountains and came into heavy forests and grassy openings
where the animals ate their fill. Game also was abundant, and they
treated themselves to fresh deer meat, the product this time of Brady's
rifle. They were all enveloped by a great sense of luxury and rest, and
still having the feeling that time was their most abundant commodity,
they lingered among the hills and in the timber, where there were clear,
cold lakelets and brooks and creeks that later lost themselves on the
plains.

It gave Will a great mental stimulus after so many dangers and such
tremendous hardships, the survival of which without a wound seemed
incredible. He looked back at the vast peak of the White Dome, solemn
and majestic, piercing the sky, and it seemed to him at times that it
had been a living thing and that it had watched over them in their
gigantic flight.

Despite the increased danger there from Indian raids they lingered
longer than they had intended among the pleasant hills. The animals,
which had been much worn in the passage of the great mountains, and two
that became lame in the descent recovered entirely. The Little Giant and
the hunter scouted in wide circles, and, seeing no sign of Indian bands,
most of their apprehension on that score disappeared, leaving to them a
certain sense of luxury as they delayed among the trees, and in the
pleasant hills. Will caught some fine trout in one of the larger brooks,
and Brady cooked them with extraordinary culinary skill. The lad had
never tasted anything finer.

"Come here, young William," said the Little Giant, "an' stand up by the
side o' me. No, you haven't grown a foot in height, since I met you, so
many days since, but you've grown jest the same. Your chest is bigger,
too, an' you eat twice ez much ez you did. I hope that what's inside
your head hez done growed too."

"Thomas Bent," said Brady, "you should not talk in such a manner about
what's inside his head to the one who is the real leader of this
expedition, as the mine is his. He might be insulted, cast you off, and
let you go eat corn husks with the prodigal son."

"No, he won't," replied the Little Giant, confidently. "Will, hevin'
done tuk me in ez pardner, would never want to put me out ag'in, nor
thar ain't no corn husks nor no prodigal son. Besides, he likes fur me
to compliment him on his growth. You're older than I am, Steve Brady,
but I want to tell you that the man or woman wuz never born who didn't
like a l