shelter of the woods.

As he walked rapidly on in the cool night air, feeling refreshed because
of the opportunity of stretching his legs after sitting in the saddle so
long, the desire for slumber fled from his eyes. There was no reason why
he should halt until he felt drowsy again, and he continued on, thinking
alternately of what he had accomplished, of the mill he hoped at some
future time to see erected on the small tract of land bordering the
Pascataqua River which his father had bequeathed him, and of the taxes to
be paid by some means within twenty-four hours of his arrival.

With so much to occupy his mind, he forgot his weariness, and the hours
went by without his being aware of the passage of time.

When he first realized how near he was to the starting point of his long
journey, a rosy light in the east told of the coming sun, and he marveled
that the night had gone so quickly.

Half an hour later, as the knowledge of distance traversed brought with it
weariness, and he was about to seek a thicket where his slumbers would not
be disturbed, a noise as of some one approaching brought him to a full
stop.

In another instant he recognized the form of his friend, Stephen Kidder,
in the distance, and he ran toward him, crying,-

"What brings you here at this hour, Stephen?"

"I left home at midnight to meet you."