"Well, that's too bad," the man said. "They ought to fix that bridge."

"Some one did," said Jack.

"Eh? What's that?"

"I said some one did. I mean some one fixed it for me, I think."

"What--what do you mean?"

"I mean those planks never came loose by themselves. I stuck a couple of
branches in the holes. Look out when you ride over."

"Oh--I--I will. Thanks!" the man exclaimed, almost as an afterthought.

Then Jack rode on, and Tantrell passed him, giving the lad a sharp glance
in the gloom, for the moon was now down below the hills.

Rather shaken by his night's adventure, and a bit anxious, Jack finally
reached his own cottage. He turned in there, preferring to do so rather
than to awaken Mrs. Watson and her family at this hour, though he was
anxious to know how his father was feeling.

"But I guess he must be all right, or they'd have sent me some word,"
reasoned Jack.

He put his horse in the stable, and, after a hasty lunch from the cupboard,
turned into his own room, and slept soundly until morning. He was up early
in order to deliver the mail for the stage which would soon go out, and
among the things he turned over to the driver was the package that had so