carried to her room, and received a greeting from his parents that
brought tears to the young fellow's eyes. Dr. Marvin soon did all within
his power at that stage for the sprained ankle and frost-bitten fingers,
the mother advising, and feeling that she was still caring for her boy as
she had done a dozen years before. Then Burt was carried back to the
dining-room, where all were soon gathered. The table groaned under
Maggie's bountiful provision, and lamp-light and fire-light revealed a
group upon which fell the richer light of a great joy.

Burt was ravenously hungry, but the doctor put him on limited diet,
remarking, "You can soon make up for lost time." He and Leonard, however,
made such havoc that Amy pretended to be aghast; but she soon noted that
Webb ate sparingly, that his face was not only scratched and torn, but
almost haggard, and that he was unusually quiet. The reasons were soon
apparent. When all were helped, and Maggie had a chance to sit down, she
said:

"Now tell us about it. We just heard enough when you first arrived to
curdle our blood. How in the world, Burt, did you allow yourself to get
caught in such a storm?"

"If it had not been for this confounded sprain I should have come out all
right;" and then followed the details with which the reader is acquainted,
although little could be got out of Webb.

"The upshot of it all is," said Leonard, as he beamed upon the party with
ineffable content, "between mother's praying and Webb's looking, Burt is
here, not much the worse for his eagle hunt."

They would not hear of the doctor's departure, and very soon afterward