while I go out and see what I can do about it. By the way, have you
had anything to eat?" asked Phipps suddenly.

Tad told him honestly what he had had.

"Three eggs and a drink of nanny goat milk, eh? Not much to travel
more than thirty miles on. Can you cook?"

"After a fashion," admitted Tad.

"Then get to work. There's bacon. You'll find bread and butter in
the large tin box there. Help yourself. I would cook it for you only
I would rather get things going for your friends," said Phipps
cordially.

Tad protested that he could help himself and urged the miner to make
all haste possible. After the latter had left him, the lad lost no
time in starting the fire and in a few moments had bacon sizzling in
the spider and the coffee pot steaming. He found some cold potatoes
which he fried in the grease of the bacon.

"Don't that smell good!" exclaimed Tad, as the odor of the cooking
drifted up to his nostrils. "If it tastes half as good as it smells
I'll have the meal of my life."

He was not disappointed. Tad ate and ate, yet he was wise enough to
restrain himself and chew his food well, knowing full well that he
would have to submit himself to a still further test of endurance
before he could call his work done.