"_You_ know me; don't you?"

"Guess that proves her right to be here," said the hermit, more to
himself than to the surprised tall man, who was the guide and keeper
in charge of Snow Camp. "Your boss lose one of his party off the
train, Long Jerry Todd?"

"So I hear. Is this here the gal?" cried the other, in immense
surprise. "I swanny!"

"Yep. She's all right. I'll go back," said the rattlesnake man,
without further ado, turning in his tracks.

"Oh, sir!" cried Ruth. "I'm so much obliged to you."

But the hermit slipped away on his snowshoes and in less than a
minute was out of sight. Then Ruth looked around suddenly for Fred
Hatfield. The runaway had disappeared.

"Where's that boy?" she cried.

"What boy?" returned Long Jerry, curiously. "Didn't see no boy here."

"Why, the boy that came here with us. He left the train at
Emoryville when I did--you must have seen him."

"I never did," declared the guide. "He must have slipped away. Maybe
he's gone into the house. You'd better come in yourself. The women
folks will 'tend to you. Why, Miss, you're dead beat!"