"How did you happen to come away?"

"Oh, I been wantin' to see the settleMINTS."

"The settleMINTS," echoed the Major, and then he understood. He recalled
having heard the mountaineers call the Bluegrass region the "settlemints"
before.

"I come down on a raft with Dolph and Tom and Rube and the Squire and the
school-teacher, an' I got lost in Frankfort. They've gone on, I reckon, an'
I'm tryin' to ketch 'em."

"What will you do if you don't?"

"Foller'em," said Chad, sturdily.

"Does your father live down in the mountains?"

"No," said Chad, shortly.

The Major looked at the lad gravely.

"Don't little boys down in the mountains ever say sir to their elders?"

"No," said Chad. "No, sir," he added gravely and the Major broke into a
pleased laugh--the boy was quick as lightning.

"I ain't got no daddy. An' no mammy--I ain't got--nothin'." It was said quite
simply, as though his purpose merely was not to sail under false colors, and