“He’s been lost for hours and hours. Everybody is out hunting and I promised I’d stay here until you came, but oh, Dr. Wright, it has been hard to keep my word.”
“You poor little girl! But you mustn’t worry, Bobby can take care of himself anywhere he happens to be.”
“You bet I can!” came from under Helen’s cot and then a tousled sleepy little figure followed the voice.
“Oh, Bobby, Bobby!” cried Helen, hugging the little wretch close in her arms. “Didn’t you know we were nearly scared to death about you?”
“Nope! How’s I to know? I drap off to sleep, I reckon. I was so tired er gettin’ driv from one to the tother all mornin’ that I got so sleepy I couldn’t stay awake. When I got driv to you by Douglas and found you snoozin’ I jes’ crawled in under your bed and must a snoozed some myself.”
“To think of his being right here all the time! Please go tell the rest he is found. Tell them I found him.”
“Yes, tell ’em Helen is wuth mor’n all of them put together. She kin do more findin’ of things lyin’ up in the bed than all the crowd can a huntin’ all over the mountain.”
Bobby soon became the center of attraction. Everybody had to give him a hug and everybody was sorry they had “driv” him off. Douglas promised him an Indian outfit; Nan promised to tell him all the stories she knew; Lucy invited him to tag along with her whenever he wanted to; Lewis Somerville gave him a new knife if he promised never to use it unless Josh was with him to pick up the pieces he cut off himself; Susan immediately put on some molasses to cook for an always welcome candy pulling; Oscar gave him an especial invitation to a chicken picking he was to hold that afternoon.
Helen was allowed to get up by the cautious young doctor since the snake bite was entirely gone. Her manner to him was so gentle he could not help feeling that he himself, as well as a physician who was releasing her, was welcome to the camp.
During this visit Dr. Wright found much food for thought—serious and otherwise. As he watched the Carter girls, happily active in their daily tasks, bravely puzzling over their problems in economy, unselfishly entertaining their week-end guests, he contrasted their life on the side of the mountain in Albemarle with the sheltered existence they had known—and marveled and rejoiced.