The Pony Rider Boys on the Blue Ridge

r. "You don't know how relieved

miserable,"

ong as you are safe. I feared somethin

s lost up a tree," added the fat boy eag

is the

, Professor," answered Butler. "I

e Jonah," scoffed Chunky. "Got anythin

bout the stores? Have you saved an

are in a sad state," answere

ned stuff must be a

holding the canned goods came open and everyth

y gro

ou now propose to starve me to death! But I won't be starved. I'll go out

Smoky Pass before you carry out any

. Most of the biscuit were so soaked that they were falling apart. Not a single can of food was left, although a ham had been

out. I propose that we leave all the stuff here with someone to watch it, while the rest of us go upstream to see what we can pick up, and

will be carefu

wh

get into other

hing that could occur already has happened, unless St

all the excitement you like, but no more for Stacy Bro

Ned go back to look for their

. "No need for you to go with us, but suppose we have

start a fire with," r

ery solemn. Chunk

ay to my distress-to the awful gnawin

attend to the lighting end. Fortunately my match safe is intended for just such an emergency as this

atches. Tad immediately jumped on his pony and trotted up the pass. He returned half an hour later, with a bundle of bark, dry sticks and a few

d the ham had grown perceptibly smaller when they finished, and not the least of this had found a resti

w he had succeeded in getting up there neither Tad nor Ned could imagine, nor did Billy seem to know what had happened to him. He sat up, regarding them with wide eyes, after they had called to him several times. Great was their relief when they found him, but the next problem was how to get Billy down. This was solved by Tad's ever-ready

wet, Chops?"

ir, n

owned?" asked T

yassir,

what happened to

oday and if you don't do your share, I shall have

ony. Chops grinned broadly, delightedly, when he disco

outed, flinging his

ght him to be so nea

Chops yet. But we shall

on the return journey. A few of their belongings had been picked

lace where we may replenish our stores, else we shall have to go back.

ssi

something,"

id it before, and I say it again. Why, you couldn't go

, where is this store that you k

n him done keep a store

, Chops," che

is that f

piece, ah r

rofessor Zepplin. The Professo

rt, sah, r

ill be to follow him. See here, Chops, shall we be able

ir, n

no," inter

o I could understand what he do

e whale, if you expect to unders

about the tents. They will dry quickly after they have been pitched. When we come to a good camping place we will go in

t's P

good. You are i

T'ank y

t t'ank you, sah

can't you?" dema

tead of discouraging him. You are enough to u

rough drying out was given to both tents and equipment, with everyone in excellen

re grinding. Chops, of course, ate his supper after the others had finished, one or another of the boys

e another. At such times the Professor came in for a share of jibes, all of which h

l about them and the fresh odors of foliage and flowers in the ai

you were a bird

the compliment,

kind of a bird, d

kind

ng like a crow. I'll wager that

it, Chops?"

ssi

you s

ssi

," adde

r you," ur

it after all we have been t

t me sing?" g

g soft and low

ne," objected Ned. "Give us somethi

ssi

with frying pan in hand began

playin'

dem eyel

o fool y

' you'se

baby dat uve

ammy, he gwine gi

ssum, 'possu

'possum, ah sees

bye-o

m migh

, baby, Bye-

m-m. M-

wled the Pon

y sly, Bye-o, b

g some more

omething that you really know

ide. Then he launched into another song that set the boys joining in