"Yes, Joe, and right glad I am to find you," answered the young man,
while a peculiar expression of pleasure came over his face.
"It's good to see you again! And here's my old dog Mose! But how on
earth did you know? Where did you strike my trail? What are you
going to do out here on the frontier? Tell me all. What happened
after I left---"
Then Joe saw Nell standing nearby, pale and distressed, and he felt
something was amiss. He glanced quickly from her to his brother; she
seemed to be dazed, and Jim looked grave.
"What the deuce--? Nell, this is my brother Jim, the one I told you
about. Jim, this is my friend, Miss Wells."
"I am happy to meet Miss Wells," said Jim, with a smile, "even
though she did slap my face for nothing."
"Slapped you? What for?" Then the truth dawned on Joe, and he
laughed until the tears came into his eyes. "She took you for me!
Ha, ha, ha! Oh, this is great!"
Nell's face was now rosy red and moisture glistened in her eyes; but
she tried bravely to stand her ground. Humiliation had taken the
place of anger.
"I--I--am sorry, Mr. Downs. I did take you for him. He--he has
insulted me." Then she turned and ran into the cabin.
Chapter II.
Joe and Jim were singularly alike. They were nearly the same size,
very tall, but so heavily built as to appear of medium height, while
their grey eyes and, indeed, every feature of their clean-cut faces
corresponded so exactly as to proclaim them brothers.
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