The tired horses were looked after by one of the ranch hands, and Mr. Stuart sat down to his supper. While he was eating it, he told his wife Jack's story. It at once roused her sympathy, and she said, 'Brave little fellow! What miles he has come, to be sure! We must do all we can to help him on to his people.'
'Yes; but I don't see any chance of his crossing the mountains until next spring,' returned Mr. Stuart. 'It's very late now, and no one is likely to come past here who would go over the divide at this time.'
'That's true,' agreed Mrs. Stuart, 'so we must do our best to make him happy, and keep him here during the winter months.'
'I only hope he'll find his mother alive, if he does get to their ranch,' remarked the Englishman dubiously. 'From what he told me, she must have been very ill when she left Longview, and I should be afraid the shock of his supposed death might have killed her.'
'Oh, Tom! How dreadful!' exclaimed his wife, quite distressed. 'I can't bear to think of such a sad thing. I am sure the little fellow's heart would break with grief.'
'Well! We will sincerely hope for the best, dear,' said her husband, 'and trust he will find her strong and well. She ought to be proud of her son, for it's a plucky thing for such a child to attempt a journey like this.'
'Come and look at him,' said the lady, rising and leading the way into the other room, while her husband followed her.
'Poor little Jack!' she said softly, 'and poor mother! How thankful she will be to see him again, after such a long separation! Fancy, Tom, if it had been our own little laddie!'
Her heart went out to the sleeping boy, and bending down, she kissed him lightly on the forehead. Jack stirred uneasily in his sleep and muttered, 'Mother.'
The word brought tears to Mrs. Stuart's eyes as she turned again to her husband, saying, 'Do you hear that, Tom? His thoughts are with her by day, and he dreams of her at night. It is most touching.'
'He is certainly a devoted little chap to his mother,' said Mr. Stuart. 'I wonder what the children will think of him?'
'They will be delighted to have a playfellow, and I expect they will never tire of listening to his adventures. We must leave him now till to-morrow;' and with another tuck in of the blanket round the boy, they left him still undisturbed for the night.