a bit. Thank you
over and over again, Thad. I'm feeling a thousand per cent better, suh,
after what you said."

"And about the other thing, Bob, I wouldn't let myself believe too
strongly that this mysterious prisoner of the moonshiners will turn out
to be your father. There were some other revenue men who have
disappeared in the last few years, men who started into the mountains to
learn things, and never came out again. It might be one of these after
all. And I guess you'd be awfully disappointed if you set too much store
on that thing."

"I keep trying all I know how not to hope _too_ much, Thad," replied the
other, with a big sigh; "and tellin' myself that it would be too great
news; yet, seems like there was a little bird nestlin' away down in
here, that goes on singin' all the while, singin' like a mockingbird
that brings good news," and Bob laid a trembling hand on his breast in
the region of his heart, as he spoke.

"Well," said Thad, warmly, "I'm just hoping that everything'll come out
the way you want, old fellow. We're going to back you up the best we
know how; and if we fail to do what we aim for, it won't be from lack of
trying."

"I know that, and I'll never, never forget it as long as I live!"
declared the other, almost choking in his emotion.

"There's the camp," remarked Thad, five minutes later, "and everything
seems to be going along all right at the old stand. I can see Step Hen
lying on his back, with his hat over his eyes as if he might be taking a
nap; Smithy is of course brushing his coat, because he has discovered
some specks of dust on it that worry him; and if you look at Giraffe,
you'll know what he's up to when I tell you he's whittling at a piece of
pine, to beat the band."

"Getting kindling ready to start up the fire, when supper time comes
around," said Bob, with a chuckle, as though some of these familiar
sights began to do him good, in that they served to take his thoughts
away from the things that distressed and worried him.

When the two scouts arrived in camp they were immediately surrounded by
their comrades, who demanded to know what they had seen and done. To
judge from the variety of questions that showered upon them, one might
think that Thad and Bob had been off on a regular foraging expedition,
and scouring the upper regions in search of adventures.

And indeed, they did have something to tell that made the others stare.
The several little holes in their clothes, e