"Never fear, Lucy, I do not intend to be hard on the twins. And you must remember, Sam here has a claim on them." "Oh, Uncle Sam," began little Nell--she often called him uncle--"won't you please let me keep the babies?" The question was so gravely put the old frontiersman had to laugh outright. "A great question truly," he made answer. "And I don't know if they are mine yet." "But if nobody calls for them--" Barringford scratched his head. "In thet case, I reckon as how I'll have to adopt 'em. Don't see nuthin' else to do." "One thing is certain, they shall stay here for the present," said Mrs. Morris, and that important question settled, she turned over the baby she held to Dave, while she bustled about to prepare a late dinner. CHAPTER V A LIVELY ELK HUNT The storm just passed proved to be the last one for some time to come, and in a week the trails leading from Will's Creek to the eastward became more or less broken. The trail to Fort Bedford was likewise opened, and Sam Barringford made a journey hither and was gone eight days. The others awaited his return with great interest, but one look at his face when he arrived convinced all that he had failed in his mission. "Can't find out anything about them twins," he said, getting down to what was in their minds without delay. "The man was seen around Fort Bedford for two days, but he didn't tell his business, and nobody that I talked to had seen the babies nor had they seen him a-talkin' to any wimmen folks." "Where did he stop overnight?" "Thet's something I couldn't find out, nuther." "He must have been an odd sort," observed James Morris. "Perhaps the twins didn't belong to him at all," suggested Henry. "If they did, why was he ashamed to show 'em?" Sam Barringford shrugged his shoulders and drew a long breath. "Don't ask me, Henry; it's a clar mystery, thet's wot it is." Settling himself before the roaring fire, Barringford told his story in detail. He repeated all that the inhabitants at Bedford had told him, but this threw no light on the mystery. Nobody had seen the stranger come into the place and nobody had seen him depart. "Wonder where he did come from," mused Dave. "He certainly must have come from somewhere." After that the winter days passed slowly. Sam Barringford remained at the Morris home, occasionally going out alone or with some of the others in quest of game. He was always glad to have Dave and Henry with him, and they were likewise delighted to go, for, as my old readers will remember, Sam Barringford was a famous hunter and rarely came back empty-handed. One day Henry, who had been out after wild turkeys, came back in a state of mild excitement. He had seen hoofprints which were strange to him, and he wanted Barringford's opinion on them. "They looked something like a deer's," he said, "but were larger." "Must have been an elk," answered the old frontiersman. "But I allow as how thar ain't many of them critters around this deestrict."