farther up, the beautiful falls, with Cookstove in the background; to the other side the park, all resplendent in yellow leaves, with here and there a tall pine standing like a green island in a sea of gently-moving gold.  Far away over the ridge was the blue outline of Cheyenne with its stage road creeping round the base.  He sat down to rest and to think.  He was suddenly awakened from his dream by seeing Mr. Allen closing and locking the cabin door below him.  He rose and hastened down the trail.  In a few moments he had joined the party, but he kept silent about where he had been and what he had seen.

“You’ll have to let me in the cabin a moment, Mr. Allen,” he called; “I left my coat up in the bunk—­I forgot it.”  The door was unlocked and Willis entered, hastily climbing the little ladder up the side of the wall to the bunk.  It was dark in the cabin, for the sun had set.  As he stepped into the bunk he touched something, then jumped back with an exclamation.  Sleepy raised up on his elbow and looked about him.  In a terror-stricken voice he called out, “Who are you?” Willis laughed so heartily that the fellows came hurrying into the cabin to see what occasioned it.  Then followed a great deal of fun at Sleepy’s expense.  Sleepy only hung his head and tried to act as if his feelings had been badly hurt.

“Dirty trick, after a fellow’s worked hard all day, to go and lock him in and start for home without him.  I’d have starved in there, I suppose,” he said gloomily, “and no one would have cared.”

“I suppose you would,” laughed Ham, “for you would be too lazy to cook you a meal after you found the food.  We’ll have to keep guard all the way home on Sleepy, fellows, or he’ll fall into some ravine and go to sleep.  He worked so hard to-day, poor boy.  I never did believe in this child labor business, anyway.”

The fellows took turn about riding the donkeys home, and a unique experience it was, for pack saddles are not the most comfortable seats in the world, especially for a tired boy.  Ham gave practical demonstration until the others caught on, then he walked.  They were all too tired to chat much, so just jogged along homeward, happy that another day’s work was done on the cabin.

“A few more like this trip and we will be ready to entertain,” called Mr. Dean.

CHAPTER XIII

Sleepy Smith has an Experience

Two weeks later another trip was made to the now-beloved cabin, but the party was small and, because of the lack of leadership, the amount of constructive work done was not great.  Enough logs were cut and dragged in to complete the addition, a new layer of fragrant boughs added to the aerial bunk, and the dam improved and strengthened.  The rest of the day was spent in hunting squirrels and chipmunks and in investigating the immense valley above St. Mary’s Falls.  School was keeping the fellows very busy, and because the fall social life had begun the young men found spare time very scarce.  The autumn activities in the Boys’ Department were also in full swing, demanding their share of time and attention.  The standing committee for the coming circus were already appointed, and were scratching their heads for new and novel stunts.