The postboy found that the account of the flood in Tripping Waters Valley had preceded him to Greenbrier, and the postmistress asked him for the full particulars. What a ride that must have been, Dix! I don't see how you escaped. But have you heard," she continued, lowering her voice to a whisper, "that any one was concerned in the affair. I mean that any one had tampered with the dam?" "No, Miss Grass. I hope no one has that fearful work to answer for." "And you neither saw nor heard of any one at the time or after?" she asked, unheeding his words. "I saw no one, Budd. Neither did I hear any one. Have you heard that any one was concerned in it?" "Oh, no. That was one of my foolish questions." Little Snap had made up his mind not to mention the finding of Pewee Burrnock's coat until he had met Mr. Rimmon, so he said nothing of it, but took the mail pouch and left the office. As might have been expected, knowing the man as he did, he found the Hollow Tree office closed, and for a wonder, no one was around its door. In this case the postboy could do no better than to carry the mail belonging here on to the next place. "I suppose Mr. Shag will try and make me trouble because I am late. But in this case I have a reasonable excuse, I think." Of course it was now an hour after dark, and though he was urging Tom on at more than his usual pace, he could not manage to get in at Six Roads until after the hour of closing the post office. Riding at the gait he was following it was not likely that Mr. Goings would overtake him, supposing the latter should follow him. But Little Snap was within half a mile of Daring's Diamond, when he heard the sound of a horseman, who, he fancied at first, was pursuing him. In a moment the rider came into view from ahead, however, and he was not long in recognizing Sammy mounted on Fairy! At sight of him his brother stopped, when our hero exclaimed: "Why, Sam Lewis! What has brought you here?" The little fellow was so excited and out of breath that it was some time before he could speak. Then he gasped in an almost inaudible tone: "Where—where have you been, Dix?" "Why, on my way home, of course. What has happened?" "Everything bad! We heard that you had been killed. Mother—father!" Then, overcome by the ordeal through which he had passed, Sammy fell forward on Fairy's neck in a faint, and he would have fallen to the ground had not Little Snap caught hold of him. "What can have happened?" exclaimed the postboy, as he took the limp figure in his arms. CHAPTER XXXIII. THE GATHERING STORM. It seemed a long time to the anxious postboy before his brother opened his eyes. "I found you, Dix," he said. "I told mother I would if she would let me go on Fairy." "What has happened, Sammy?"