As he did not feel hungry he did not stop anywhere until about sunset, when he walked up to a double penned house that looked roomy and hospitable. Several dogs ran out barking. "Here, you Boss! Git out'n thar, Louder! Pick up a stick and frail the nation outn 'em, boy." A tall, shock headed, awkward man had come onto the porch and was making these remarks with great vigor but entire good nature. The dogs subsided, and Ralph ran lightly up the steps. "Come in. Take a chair by the fire. What mought your name be these hard times?" "I'm Ralph Granger, from over about Hiawassee Gap." "Son of old Bras?" Ralph assented, when the shock headed man called to his wife, who was sifting meal for the supper: "Tildy this must be one of your kin folks." Then, turning to Ralph, "My wife was a Granger; one of the Gregory branch. Well, tell us all about yourself. Don't mind the children, they always are in the way, anyhow." Ralph, finding that he was among friends, related briefly the events of the day and wound up by again expressing his detestation of the feud. Mr. Dopples, for that was the shock headed man's name, nodded approval. "We mountain folks live too much outn the world," said he. "What you goin' to do?" "Anything honest, to make a living. I'm not going to stay in these parts though." "If you've any notion of goin' down about Columbia, I can direct you to a friend of mine as lives there. Comes up here every summer to fish and hunt. Got lots of coin, and is always wantin' me to go down there and take a regular town spree with him. Oh he's a sight!" "What is his name? I don't suppose he would care anything about me. He never heard of me, anyhow." "Name is Captain Shard; he keeps a big livery stable. You just tell him you're a friend of mine, and I'll bet my steers agin a coon skin you're at home straight." Soon after supper Ralph was shown to his bed in a shed room at the rear of the house. In the mountains the people go to bed and rise early from habit. Before eight o'clock a sound of heavy breathing could be heard from every room. Under the floor the very dogs were steeped in dreams of coon and 'possum hunting. Suddenly Ralph awoke, feeling a pressure on his chest. The room was not so dark but that he could detect a shadowy figure at the bedside. A prickly chill ran through his veins, but before he could speak, a voice whispered: "Give me your hand," and as the boy dazely obeyed, the pressure on his chest was removed as another hand was lifted from there, that firmly grasped his own. "I can feel your pulse jump; you're skeered, Ralph." "Wh--who are--you?" faltered Ralph, unable to make out as yet whether it was a "haant" or a living person that had awakened him thus. "Don't know me?" There was a titter of nearly noiseless laughter. "Felt me pressin' your chist, didn't you?" "Yes. At first I thought I must be stiflin', but----"