“Teddy! And Pop and Bug Eye! The reception committee! The lost mariners! Well, you old marmadukes!”
Tears stood in Teddy’s eyes as he clasped his brother’s hand. Frank, honest tears, and Teddy was not ashamed of them.
“Roy—” he said brokenly, “we thought you were—”
“We thought you was lost!” Bug Eye finished, with a side glance at Pop. “Snakes, we been lookin’ all over creation for yuh!”
“Son,” Pop said simply, holding out his hand, “I’m glad to see yuh. Mighty glad. We been worried.”
“You’re hurt, Roy!” Teddy exclaimed, as he noticed for the first time the cuts on the boy’s arm and shoulder. “How did you get those?”
“It’s a long story, me lad,” Roy answered, smiling. He threw his arm about his brother’s shoulders. “But first, if you don’t mind, I’ll eat! The last meal I had was roast porcupine!”
CHAPTER XVIII
Afloat Again
Back to camp tramped these two brothers, the one in a torn suit of underwear, the other fully dressed, but both wearing wide grins.
They were both happy—recklessly so. All things dwindled into insignificance except the fact that they were together again—together, after a night of terror. The cattle of Whirlpool River Ranch—The Pup—the reported landslide—all these were for the moment forgotten. They would return later, with their responsibilities. But now, for Teddy and Roy, there was happiness where they had feared to find sorrow.