But it was the story of John Britton's life which moved him most. With

strained, eager eyes and bated breath he read that sad recital, and at

its termination, buried his face in his hands and sobbed like a child.

When he had grown calm he sat for some time reviewing the past and

forming plans for future action. While thus absorbed in thought he heard

a step, and, looking up, saw standing before him a man of apparently

sixty years, with bronzed face and grizzled hair, whose small, piercing

eyes regarded himself with keen scrutiny. In response to the younger

man's greeting he only bowed silently.

"You must be Peter, the hermit," the young man exclaimed; "but whoever

you are, you are welcome; I am glad to see a human face."

"And you," replied the other, slowly, "you are not the same man that you

were yesterday; you have awakened, as he said you would some day."

"As who said?" the young man questioned.

"John Britton," the other replied.

"Yes, I have awakened, and my life here is like a dream. Sit down,

Peter; I want to ask you some questions."

For half an hour they sat together, the younger man asking questions,

the other answering in as few words as possible, his keen eyes never

leaving the face of his interlocutor.

"Where is this John Britton?" the young man finally inquired.

"In Ophir--at a place called The Pines."

"I know the place; I remember it. How far is it from here?"

"Fifteen miles by rail from the station at the foot of the mountain."

"I must go to him at once; you will show me the way. How soon can we get

away from here?"

Peter glanced at the sun. "We cannot get down the trail in season for

to-day's train. We will start to-morrow morning."

Without further speech he then went into the cabin and busied himself

with his accustomed duties. When he reappeared he again stood silently

regarding the younger man with his fixed, penetrating gaze.

"What awakened you?" he asked, at length.

The abruptness of the question, as well as its tenor, startled the

other; that was a phase of the mystery surrounding himself of which he

had not even thought.

"I do not know," he replied, slowly; "that question had not occurred to

me before. What do you think? Might it not have come about in the

ordinary sequence of events?"

Peter shook his head. "Not likely," he muttered; "there must have been a

shock of some kind."

The young man smiled brightly. "Well, I cannot answer for yesterday's

events," he said, "having neither record nor recollection of the day;

but I certainly sustained a shock this morning on awaking on the bare

rocks at such an altitude as this and with no trace of a human being

visible!"




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