eir owner would read him through, and then the
veteran held out his hand, saying in a deep mellow voice that sounded
pleasantly in Jack's ears: 'Well, young un, so you and me's to be mates
for a spell, eh? And I'm to keep the track clear of bears for you--is
that so?'

'I'm awfully skeared of bears,' returned Jack truthfully; 'but I don't
believe I'd be skeared of anything much if I were along with you;' and
he looked confidently at the stalwart figure of the hunter.

'There's a genuine compliment for you, Joe,' remarked Mr. Stuart,
laughing. 'You ought to appreciate that.'

'Aye, so I do,' returned Champion Joe, well pleased at the boy's
unfeigned admiration. 'And now, kid, can you tell me whereabouts on
the Cochetopa Creek your folks have located themselves?'

Jack shook his head. He had come over two hundred and fifty miles on
that one word 'Cochetopa,' and now, when only about sixty miles from
the nearest point of the creek, he had not the remotest idea if his
parents lived near any town or village. He knew nothing beyond the
name of the creek, and said so.

'That's a bit awkward,' said Champion Joe, 'for that 'ere creek runs
down from the Range for about forty miles afore it joins the river; so
I guess it'll be a trifle hard to find your folks.'

'My dad does freighting where he is,' ventured Jack.

'That's good,' returned Joe hopefully, 'for there's more chance o'
hearin' summat o' him as we get over the Range in some o' the villages
we'll pass through.'

'I think you'd better run off to bed, Jack,' said Mrs. Stuart, 'as you
will have to be up early to-morrow morning.

'Yes,' joined in the hunter; 'get all the sleep you can. I start first
thing in the mornin', as we ain't got no time to fool away. For all
the sky's so bright, I'm mighty sure there's a snowstorm not far off,
and I ain't one as enjoys a blizzard on the Range.'

Jack felt too restless to sleep much; and at last, when he dozed off,
he dreamt he was being pursued by a bear, and it was just catching him,
when Champion Joe came to his rescue and carried him away, while the
bear vanished at the sight of the hunter.

CHAPTER XI.

JACK CROSSES THE RANGE WITH CHAMPION JOE.

The next morning there was a small crowd to see the two travellers off,
and everyone seemed sorry to say good-bye to Jack. The children gave
him little keepsakes, and made him promise to come and see them again.

'Good-bye, Jack,' said Mrs. Stuart kindly. '