That something quickly took the form of a white-faced, exhausted youth trudging painfully forward and ready to sink to the ground with weakness.
"Heavens! can it be ?" gasped Jack, half-rising to his feet and staring across the camp-fire.

The next moment, and while Hazletine was looking in the same direction, as astounded as the youth, the elder made one bound and was at the side of Fred Greenwood, whom he caught in his arms as he sagged downward in a state of utter collapse.
In the course of the following hour everything was made clear.

Under the tender ministrations of Jack Dudley and Hank Hazletine the returned wanderer recovered to a great degree his strength, and to the fullest degree his naturally buoyant spirits.

The faint odor of the broiling meat which lingered in the air awoke his ravenous appetite, but knowing how long he had been without food, the cowman would not permit him to eat more than a tithe of what he craved.

After a time he gave him more, until his appetite was fairly well satisfied.
"Jack," said Fred, with something of his old waggishness, as he looked across the fire into the face of his comrade, "let's go home." "You forget that we have a month's vacation, and it is hardly half gone.
We can stay another week and then be sure of being back to school in time.