of the
sunset.

"Yonder is the great stairway of Heaven!" Jack exclaimed.

"I've put up in this 'ere ol' tavern many a night," said Solomon. "Do
ye see its sign?"

He pointed to a great dead pine that stood a little below it, towering
with stark, outreaching limbs more than a hundred and fifty feet into
the air.

"I call it The Dead Pine Tavern," Solomon remarked.

"On the road to Paradise," said Jack as he gazed down the valley, his
hands shading his eyes.

"Wisht we could have a nice hot supper, but 'twon't do to build no
fire. Nothin' but cold vittles! I'll go down with the pot to a spring
an' git some water. You dig fer our supper in that pack o' mine an'
spread it out here. I'm hungry."

They ate their bread and dried meat moistened with spring water, picked
some balsam boughs and covered a corner of the mossy floor with them.
When the rock chamber was filled with their fragrance, Jack said:

"If my dream comes true and Margaret and I are married, I shall bring
her here. I want her to see The Dead Pine Tavern and its outlook."

"Ayes, sir, when ye're married safe," Solomon answered. "We'll come up
here fust summer an' fish, an' hunt, an' I'll run the tavern an' do the
cookin' an' sweep the floor an' make the beds!"

"I'm a little discouraged," said Jack. "This war may last for years."

"Keep up on high ground er ye'll git mired down," Solomon answered.
"Ain't nuther on ye very old yit, an' fust ye know these troubles 'll
be over an' done."

Jack awoke at daylight and found that he was alone. Solomon returned
in half an hour or so.

"Been scoutin' up the trail," he said. "Didn't see a thing but an ol'
gnaw bucket. We'll jest eat a bite an' p'int off to the nor'west an'
keep watch o' this 'ere trail. They's Injuns over thar on the slants.
We got to know how they look an' 'bout how many head they is."

They went on, keeping well away from the trail.

"We'll have to watch it with our ears," said Solomon in a whisper.

His ear was often on the ground that morning and twice he left Jack "to
snook" out to the trail and look for tracks. Solomon could imitate the
call of the swamp robin, and when they were separated in the bush, he
gave it so that his friend could locate him. At midday they sat down
in deep shade by the side of a brook and ate their luncheon.

"This 'ere is Peppermint Brook," said Solomon. "It's 'nother one o' my
taverns."

"Our food isn't going to last long at the rate