hore he gut his arm fixed up so's ter stop ther blood comin';
an' they fotched him acrost ther valley in good shape."

"It was only a little thing, Polly, and gave me a great deal of
pleasure," said Thad, thrilled despite himself by the girl's simple
recital of the event.

"P'raps 'twar," she replied, sturdily; "but my maw, she sots some store
by Uncle Cliff; an' dad, he cain't nowise go agin wot she wants. So I
sees right plain like it was writ, thet Bob, he's bound arter this, ter
git his dad free."

"Oh! it's like a dream to me, Thad; I feel as if I must be asleep. Give
me a pinch or something, won't you, and let me understand that I'm
alive," Bob exclaimed.

"You're awake, all right, old fellow," replied Thad, with a nervous
little laugh. "And unless I miss my guess, Polly here is going to give
you another pleasant little surprise; ain't you, Polly?"

"W'en I larns thet 'bout my uncle," continued the mountain girl, "I jest
thinks as how Bob hyah, he's be'n a wantin' ter larn somethin' 'bout his
ole man ther longest time ever. An' so I makes up my min' ter fotch 'im
right away up ter ther Still in ther cave, so's ter see how the man as
is chained'd feel ter git his boy in his arms onct agin!"

"Oh! Polly, however can I thank you?" exclaimed the excited Bob;
"please let's start then right away. I thought I was tired, but now I'm
feelin' as fresh as ever I could be. You couldn't go too quick to suit
me!"

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE "STILL" IN THE MOUNTAIN CAVE.

"HIT'S sum climb," said Polly, doubtfully.

"But think what is at the end of it," answered the eager Bob. "Why, to
see my father again, I'd go all night, and then some. Please don't say
you won't, Polly, after giving me your promise."

"I'm gwine tuh leave hit tuh him," said the girl simply, and both of
them understood that she meant Thad; for doubtless Polly had guessed
before now that he was the leader of the boys in uniform, and that what
he said was authority.

Thad knew there was no such thing as trying to restrain his chum, now
that the fever was in his veins; nor did he have any desire to do so.

"He'll make it, all right, I think, Polly," he remarked, quietly.

"Sure I will; so let's start," declared the other.

Polly, of course, was willing. She did not seem to give one thought to
herself; and yet Thad remembered how swollen her ankle had seemed, after
such a bad twisting in the cleft of the rock that same afternoon, when
the angry w