The last leg of the trip was up a steep, narrow, and very bumpy road that led through an area of dense trees. Dan couldn't imagine where they were going, but he wasn't sure the car would make it. Eventually, they came into a small clearing with a cabin in the center of it. Tom pulled up in front of the cabin and Dan and Regan got out.

"Thanks a lot, Tom," Regan said. "Don't bother waiting for me; I can walk back through the preserve from here."

"You sure, Regan?" Tom asked. "It's awfully cold out."

Regan boasted. "I can handle it."

"Okay, then," Tom said, waving goodbye as he turned the car around and pulled out.

Regan turned to Dan, but didn't speak when he saw the closed look on the boy's face. He moved toward the cabin and led the way to the door. Before he could knock, the door was opened by a grizzled old man.

"You made better time than you expected I see!" he exclaimed while reaching out to shake Regan's hand.

Regan smiled crookedly. "Yeah, we did." He turned to wave Dan forward. "George Maypenny, I'd like you to meet Dan Mangan. Dan, you're going to be staying here, and working with Mr. Maypenny in the preserve."

Maypenny stuck out his hand to Dan. "It's nice to meet you, son," he said.

Dan studied Maypenny. He knew a surly look had come over his face. Well, it's better than fear, Dan thought. After a long moment, Dan briefly took Maypenny's hand without saying a word.

"Hmph," Maypenny said as Dan let go of his hand. He studied this young man, taking note of the expression that almost hid the fear - only his eyes betrayed him.

Looking back at Regan, Maypenny stepped into the cabin, opening the door wide. "Well, come in, boys, come in," he invited.

Regan waited for Dan to enter the cabin, then followed him in and closed the door behind them.

Dan looked around the cabin, wondering at it. He'd never seen anything like it before. The outside walls were made of whole logs, fitted together seamlessly. From the front door, the entire front of the cabin was one large room, with a fireplace at either end. To the right seemed to be a living area, with a sofa, rugs and comfortable chairs. To the left was a kitchen and dining room area. In the kitchen, a pot was hanging over the fire, with delicious aromas wafting from it. Straight ahead was a door leading into the back. To the side of that door, stairs went up along the wall to a second floor.

"Well, come on, let me give you the tour," Maypenny said. "You can pretty much see what's here - living room, kitchen, dining room." He led them to the door. Turning to go up the stairs, he waved toward the back. "Back there's my bedroom and bathroom." Leading them up the stairs, he stepped through a trap door into a room that took up most of the back half of the building. Two doors lead off the room. "This is your bedroom, boy. That's your closet," he waved at one of the doors, "and that's your bathroom," he waved at the other.

The bedroom looked inviting and comfortable. A full-sized bed was pushed against one wall, covered with thick quilts. A bright rag rug covered most of the floor. A desk and chair was pushed up beneath a window in the back wall, and a dresser was at the foot of the bed. A comfortable chair completed the furnishings.

"As far as your room is concerned, all I ask is that you keep your bathroom scrubbed, and your bedroom at least navigable," Maypenny said to him. "You'll also be responsible for your own laundry, and helping out with other household chores in addition to working in the preserve."

Dan prowled once around the bedroom as Regan and Maypenny watched, setting his suitcase on the floor by the bed. Once he'd peeked in the closet and the bathroom, Maypenny turned back to the stairs.

"Come on back downstairs for now, boy," he said. "We can talk for a few minutes before dinner."

Regan followed Maypenny downstairs. Dan took one more look around the room before heading down as well.

The three of them took seats in living room. Dan took a seat as far away from the others as he could, then he slouched down as far as possible with his feet stuck out in front of him.

Maypenny frowned. "Dan, your uncle and I agreed that you would work for me in the preserve, and you could live here with me. In exchange, I expect a certain amount of respect, both for me and for you. Slouching like that is a sign of disrespect for everyone."

Slowly and grudgingly, Dan sat up.

"Mr. Maypenny will be showing you the ropes around here, and assigning you your jobs," Regan told him. "But if you need anything - clothes, school supplies, anything at all - you come to me." He shook his head discontentedly. "I really wish you could stay with me. I'm going to try to save up money to get a place of my own, so someday, we can be together."

Dan just shrugged, still keeping his nonchalant I-don't-care attitude. Inside, he wasn't sure what he really felt. Did this uncle really want to be family or not? Dan wasn't sure. What was the deal with Maypenny? Dan didn't know what to make of any of this.

While Dan was pondering the situation, Regan and Maypenny were conversing quietly. Now, Maypenny stood, and gestured toward the kitchen.

"I do believe dinner should be just about ready. Regan, will you stay and eat with us?"

"No, I really can't," Regan replied, also standing. "I've got to get back and see to Jupiter*." Regan turned to Dan. "Jupiter is one of the horses I look after. He's got a nasty cut on his leg."

Dan just looked at Regan, not moving until Regan held out his hand. Then Dan slowly stood and grasped the hand.

"I really hope we can get to know each other, lad. I want us to be a family." Regan dropped his hand and turned to Maypenny. "Thanks for everything, George."

Maypenny shook Regan's hand. "Take care, Bill."

Once Regan left, Maypenny turned to Dan. "Let's eat, boy. We've got hunter's stew and biscuits."

"Hunter's stew?" Dan asked, moving to join Maypenny in the kitchen.

"Made with vegetables from my garden, and venison. Ain't no better to be found anywhere."

Maypenny pulled dishes from the cupboards, showing Dan where things were kept, and handing them to Dan to set on the table. He took a pan of biscuits, perfectly browned, from the oven and put them in a basket that had been sitting to the side. He set them on the table, along with a crock of butter he took from the refrigerator. Last, he swung the pot out from the fire, and ladled out two bowls of stew.

When everything was on the table, Dan sat down and looked into his bowl. "Venison, huh?" he said. "That's deer, right?"

Maypenny nodded. "Right."

"I've never had venison before." Dan cautiously dipped a spoon into his bowl, pulling out a chunk of meat and eyeing it suspiciously.

Maypenny laughed. "It's not going to bite you, boy. Try it!"

Dan stared at the meat for another moment before shutting his eyes and putting it in his mouth. He gingerly bit down. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he chewed more vigorously. He swallowed. "Hey, that's pretty good!"

The rest of dinner passed quietly, as both men concentrated on eating. When they were finished, Dan picked up the dishes and carried them to the sink without being asked. Maypenny watched as Dan looked under the sink for dish soap and a dish drainer. Dan proceeded to fill the sink with hot, soapy water, then washed and rinsed the dishes. Mr Maypenny rose from the table when Dan had put the dishes into the drainer, got a towel from a drawer and started drying the dishes.

"You've done this before," Maypenny said.

Dan nodded. "I used to help Mom." He looked over to the pot that still hung over the fire. "What about the stew pot?"

Maypenny shook his head. "That's a cast iron pot, boy. You don't wash it in water." Maypenny walked over to the fire and took the pot off the hook. He quickly dumped what was left of the stew into a large bowl which he put into the fridge. Carrying the pot to the counter, he carefully and thoroughly cleaned the inside of the pot with paper towels while Dan watched.

Once the kitchen was cleaned and everything put away, Maypenny turned to Dan. "I won't ask you to do anything else tonight, boy. You might want to unpack and put away your things. I also suggest that you get to bed now - I'll be waking you early to start on your chores."

Dan went up to his bedroom. It only took him a few minutes to unpack. Then he kicked off his boots and lay on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. That morning, he'd been in a jail cell. For months before that, he'd lived on the streets of New York City. He didn't want to think about where he was before that. Now, he was in a log cabin in the middle of the woods on some rich man's estate.

Dan woke, staring into the dark, wondering what had disturbed him. He turned over, pulling the quilt up, settling back. Just as he was dozing off, he heard again the noise that had disturbed him initially.

"Dan!" Maypenny bellowed from the bottom of the stairs. "Rise and shine, son!"

Dan groaned. It figured his uncle had housed him with a lunatic. Did he expect to do chores in the middle of the night? Dan considered just staying where he was, but he knew that Maypenny wouldn't quit.

Bleary eyed, Dan pulled his clothes on and stumbled downstairs.

Maypenny looked up from the stove when Dan came into the kitchen. "Good morning!" he heartily. "How do you like your eggs?"

Dan stared at the old man, certain that the old coot had lost his mind. "I like them in the morning, not the middle of the night."

Maypenny chuckled. "It is morning, son."

Dan pointed at the window, showing nothing but blackness outside. "It's still dark out!" he protested.

Maypenny nodded. "Yup. But not for long. Now, how do you like your eggs?"

"Why are we having breakfast before dawn?" Dan asked, trying to be reasonable, rather than petulant. He didn't think he'd really succeeded as he heard the whining note in his voice.

"We have a lot of chores to do, and a lot I have to teach you today. So, we need to get an early start," Maypenny explained patiently. Then he waved his spatula at the frying pan waiting on the stove. "Your eggs?"

Dan slumped in resignation. "Uh, scrambled, I guess."

Maypenny nodded, and began cracking eggs into the pan. As he vigorously stirred them, he glanced around at Dan, who had not moved from where he stood.

"Would you get out the dishes, please?" he asked. "Get each of us a glass of milk, too."

Dan obediently stumbled across the kitchen and did as he was asked. Maypenny removed a pan of biscuits from the oven, putting them in a napkin lined basket before handing them to Dan to put on the table. He also removed some bacon from a warming pan to put on a plate. Another pan yielded hashbrowns which were put into a bowl. Once the eggs were done, he spooned them onto their plates at the table.

Dan sat in his chair looking at the breakfast. "That's an awful lot of food."

Maypenny sat down and began dishing out generous portions on each of their plates. "You need to get plenty of fuel in you for all the work you're going to be doing."

Dan eyed his plate doubtfully. Slowly, he began to eat, picking at the eggs and hashbrowns. After only a few bites, he was feeling full. He ate his bacon with relish and finished with his milk. His plate looked just as full as when he'd started when he put his fork down.

Maypenny frowned at him. "You'd better eat up, boy. You won't have a chance to eat again before lunch."

Dan forced himself to eat some more, including a biscuit smothered with honey butter. When Maypenny finished eating and stood to take his dishes to the sink, Dan stopped eating and stood as well.

"Well, you'll learn to eat, once you've begun doing the work I've set out for you," Maypenny said.

After they'd cleaned the kitchen, Maypenny studied Dan's clothes.

"Have you got any other boots?" he asked.

Dan bristled. "What's wrong with my boots?"

Maypenny frowned. "They're not very practical - they'll be slippery in the snow, and won't necessarily keep your feet very warm. Not good for working."

Dan scowled. "My boots will be fine."

Maypenny raised his hands in a placating manner. "Fine," he said. "Get your jacket and let's get to work."

When they left the cabin, Dan realized the sun had come up while they were eating. It was still much earlier than he wanted to be up, but at least it was light out.

"Every morning, before school, you will need to fill the feeders throughout the preserve," Maypenny told him. "It would go faster if you could ride a horse. I'm sure your uncle can teach you. Until then, you'll have to walk."

Maypenny handed him a large haversack to sling across his shoulders and filled it with grain. Then, he led Dan on a tour of the preserve, showing him the location of each of the feeding stations. Dan followed him grimly, his boots slipping and sliding on the snow lined path. Maypenny did not comment on his difficulties.

At first, Dan enjoyed the crisp, clean air and the sounds of winter birds in the trees. The crunch and squeak of the snow under foot only emphasized the deep quiet. It didn't take long, however, for him to start getting cold as the frigid air worked its way past his jacket. Only the effort he put forth to remain on his feet kept him warm at all. Very soon, the muscles in his legs began to scream in protest.

Maypenny led Dan back to the cabin, and into the barn behind it. A single, old horse looked up at them as they entered.

"This is Brownie," Maypenny said, walking over to give the horse a fond greeting. "It will be your job to feed him after walking the feed stations - just throw some hay down for him in the mornings. Afternoons you'll need to give him some grain, too."

After giving Brownie a carrot, and a final pat, Maypenny led the way to the other end of the barn. Through a chicken wire door, Dan could see several chickens scratching around on the floor, and other resting in cubby holes that lined the wall.

"You'll need to feed the chickens, too. And they tend to hide their eggs, so," Maypenny broke off chuckling as an alarmed look crossed Dan's face. "Don't worry, boy. I'll hunt for the eggs myself. You just need to be careful where you step when you go in there. They have some corn and feed in that barrel that you can throw out for them."

Finally, Maypenny took Dan out to the wood pile. A supply of logs was neatly stacked, waiting to be split.

"Heat in the cabin is supplied by burning firewood," Maypenny explained. "Throughout the year, we'll chop the fallen trees into logs, such as you see here. When we need firewood, we'll split the logs. Right now, it's winter, so we need a lot of wood. It'll be up to you to make sure we don't get cold."

By this time, Dan was very cold and feeling stiff. He was also feeling like this old man was trying to turn him into a slave. This made him very sullen. "Just what are you going to be doing all day? It looks like I'm going to be doing all the work!"

Maypenny gave him a severe look. "Well, at first I will be helping you," he said. "I don't expect you to be able to it all alone, not until you learn the ropes, anyway. After that, I'll be able to get some of my work in - there are other things around this preserve that need to be seen to."

He started to turn away, but hesitated. "I'd appreciate a little respect from you, boy," he said. "You don't have to like me, but I will insist that you mind your manners and treat me with respect."

Maypenny then walked away, toward the door into the cabin. When he spoke again, his voice was back to his normal, cheerful tone. "Let's get some lunch, boy. I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."

Dan stood there, frowning at Maypenny's back. Then he decided that if he was going to have a chance to get warm and eat something, he'd better follow him inside.

That afternoon, Dan spent hours learning the proper way to wield an axe to split wood, and then how to use a bigger axe to chop trees into logs. That was followed by another walk through the preserve to fill the feed stations. By the time Maypenny decided it was time to break for dinner, Dan felt like he could barely move any of his limbs.

Maypenny fixed dinner, and set the table while Dan cleaned up. Dan could hardly finish eating before he starting falling asleep in his plate. Maypenny took pity on him and sent him to bed.

The next morning, Dan was awakened in the dark once again, by Maypenny yelling for him.

"Good morning, boy!" Maypenny said. "Better eat quickly, so we can get your chores done before school."

Great. School. Dan had managed not to think about that until now.

They walked the feed stations, and fed the chickens and Brownie. Then Dan went upstairs to clean up. When he came back down, Maypenny was dressed in a suit. He didn't look at all comfortable in it. The shirt collar seemed to be choking him, and he had evidently put on some weight since he had last worn it, because the coat was open and it was easy to see that it couldn't possibly be buttoned.

Dan followed Maypenny out to the road without speaking. When they got there, he could see a school bus waiting. Several teenagers were already on board, chattering away. His footsteps faltered.

Maypenny slapped his shoulder. "No need to be afraid, boy," he said.

Dan quickly fixed a sneer on his face. "Who's afraid?" He moved to the bus and climbed the steps. Pausing at the top, he grimly surveyed the teens in the seats.

A group of red jackets caught his attention. Three girls, one a gorgeous brunette, one very pretty with honey colored hair and the third a cute curly haired blonde, sat in two seats together. Behind them sat two boys, one obviously the blonde's brother and the other almost as dark as Dan himself.

The blonde whispered something to the honey haired girl as Dan looked back at them. He had a feeling it was about him - and probably not very complimentary. He felt his gaze grow cold and he realized he was being shut out.

Then Maypenny came up the steps behind him. He nodded briefly as the red jacketed girls waved, then pointed out an empty seat behind the driver. "Sit down," he said.

Dan sat. He slumped in the seat, fuming as he heard whispering behind him. When the bus stopped in front of the school, he was happy enough to get off the bus as quickly as possible with Maypenny.

In the main office, Dan and Maypenny waited for only a couple of minutes before being called in to talk to the principal.

Mr. Mooney's brown hair was laced with grey and his blue eyes peered through thick glasses. His suit was probably a couple of years old, but was still neat and clean. He studied Dan thoughtfully as they entered.

"Well, Mr. Mangan, I understand you haven't been attending school the last few months," Mr. Mooney said.

Dan gave him his best blank stare. He knew he was doing it right, because Mr. Mooney squirmed slightly.

"Yes, well. We're going to put you into sophomore level classes - I believe that's where you were. If you can't keep up, we'll have to put you back into freshman level. Is that understood?"

Dan stared at him. A freshman! No way was he going to be put back into freshman level.

Maypenny cleared his throat and Dan realized he hadn't answered Mr. Mooney.

"Understood," Dan said.

Mr. Mooney nodded. "Good. I hope you also understand that I won't tolerate any gang activity or violence. The first sign of anything like that and you will be expelled. Is that understood?"

Dan jerked a nod.

Maypenny put his hand on Dan's shoulder. "There won't be any trouble," he said.

Mr. Mooney smiled. "Right then. I just wanted to be clear on that." He stood up and reached over his desk to offer his hand to Dan. "Welcome to Sleepyside Junior-Senior High."

Dan stared at Mr. Mooney's hand, having a hard time believing the man was serious after the speech he had made. Maypenny nudged him and he reached for Mr. Mooney's hand. He shook it briefly and quickly dropped it.

"Ms. Westerman has your schedule. She'll see to it that you get to the correct class."

Dan and Maypenny walked back out into the main office. The blonde boy in the red jacket from the bus was there, leaning on the counter, talking to an older woman - probably Ms. Westerman.

"Well, boy, have a good day. I'll see you this afternoon." With another clap on Dan's shoulder, and a smiling nod at the two at the counter, Maypenny left.

The older woman at the counter turned to Dan. "I suppose that you're Dan Mangan. I have your schedule right here." She took a piece of paper out of a folder in front of her and held it out to Dan.

Dan reluctantly took the paper, briefly glancing at it.

"This is Mart Belden," Ms. Westerman said, gesturing at the blonde boy. "He's a sophomore too, and in several your classes. He's going to show you around."

Mart smiled. "Hey, Dan. Come on, let's get to home room - we should be able to make it before the bell, if we hurry."

The morning went quickly, in a bit of a blur with new faces, new names and new classrooms. In every one of his classes, he found that he was going to have a lot of catching up to do. He kept his expression blank, but inside he was apprehensive. He hoped he'd be able to get it all done, along with all the work Maypenny had set him.

When lunchtime came, Mart led him into the cafeteria and over to a table where the other kids in red jackets from the bus were sitting.

"Hi family and such!" Mart said. "This is Dan Mangan. Dan, here are some of the characters you'll have to put up with in Sleepyside High."

The dark haired boy, Mart said he was Brian, rose and shook hands with Dan. Dan tried to smile, and did manage to say, "Hi."

Dan was surprised by the smiles the honey-haired girl - Honey, appropriately enough - and the Liz Taylor look-alike - Diana - gave him. They reminded him uncomfortably of Donna and Laurie, and the games they always wanted to play with him. He tried to nod at these new girls politely, but he was afraid he was too stiff. He was actually more comfortable with the suspicious look on the face of Mart's sister, Trixie.

Mart led Dan over to the counter to get some food. On their way back through the tables, Dan saw some of guys from home room who looked like they practiced controlling their expressions just like he did. This podunk town probably didn't have real gangs, but these guys would be in one if it did.

"Uh, Mart, listen," Dan started. "I think I'd like to get to know some other guys from homeroom - so I'm going to go sit with those guys."

Mart looked at some of the biggest trouble makers in the grade. He hesitated, but he knew that Dan wasn't really looking for his permission or advice on who to make friends with. He shrugged. "Okay, I'll see you after lunch then."

After talking with Ken Paitel, Tom Wickman and Mike LaFonse for only a moment, Dan realized that he had been correct in his assessment. These guys appreciated the mind-set of the gangs, and the tough attitude. Dan found himself boasting about his exploits in the city before he even realized what he was doing. He didn't want to be that person here, but he didn't know how to stop himself. Besides, the admiring looks on the faces of his audience made him feel good.

That afternoon, Dan walked the path from the bus stop to Maypenny's cabin, slipping and sliding on his boots. He was beginning to think the old man might be right about needing a new pair of shoes. The sound of a horse coming up behind him startled him, and he looked back over his shoulder. He saw Honey and Trixie coming up the path on horses, and stepped back off the path to let them go by.

Honey pulled up a few feet away from him, smiling at him in a fashion that put Dan on his guard. "How about a lift?" she said. "Those boots are too slippery for snow!"

She laughed at him - or was that a friendly laugh? Dan wasn't sure.

She kicked a foot out of a stirrup, saying, "Climb on behind. We're on our way right now to see Mr. Maypenny."

Trixie had stopped her horse a few feet behind and sat, silently staring at him. He could see her judging him and he scowled at them both.

"I can make it okay. I don't need a lift," he told them. He really didn't want to give these girls a chance to 'play' with him.

"But there's no need of your walking when we're going to the same place," Honey said gently. "If you'd rather ride alone, Trix and I can double up and you can take Starlight, here. She's very gentle."

Dan scowled even more. "I told you I don't want to ride," he said loudly. "You can't give me orders, even if I do work for your pa."

Honey's face flushed and she looked hurt. Dan felt bad - he hadn't wanted to hurt her, he just wasn't sure of her intentions. She gathered up her reins and rode on without another word.

"If you ask me, Hon, he just doesn't dare try to ride. He's afraid!" Trixie taunted.

Anger flared in Dan's chest. He couldn't let her get away with that! "Oh, yeah?" Dan returned, his lip curling. "Big talk, freckles. Climb down and I'll show you." He set his books down on a rock, ready to do what ever he had to prove himself to her.

"Okay!" Trixie was out of the saddle in a flash. "Be sure you know which side to get on. Susie's particular."

Dan used his best gang swagger as he walked over to Trixie and her horse. Trixie handed the reins over and he swung up into the saddle as quickly as he could, before he lost his nerve.

Susie's ears went back and she snorted. Trixie stepped back at once.

"Take it easy, cowboy," she advised. "Maybe you'd better lengthen the stirrups. I keep them pretty short."

Dan had just been wondering about that, but he wasn't about to let this girl get the upper hand. "Who's riding?" he answered shortly, slapping the reins against Susie's neck. "Come on, move!"

Susie moved alright. She kicked up her heels and bucked. Then, ignoring Dan's attempt to hold her in, she took off, heading for a stand of spruce close to the trail.

"Stop her!" he heard one of them yell, just as Susie ran under a low-hanging limb. He felt himself going head over heels off her. Then he hit the ground, hard.

Dan woke up, cold, face down in the snow. He moved, and his head rewarded him with a stabbing pain. He groaned. He pushed himself over onto his back, holding his head. He could feel a large lump on his forehead.

"Guess there's nothing broken, after all," he heard a girl say.

Dan pulled his hands away from his head quickly. He had forgotten about the girls. He couldn't let them see him weak. He scowled at them bending over him.

"Hi! How do you feel?" Honey asked quickly.

Dan touched the lump on his head, wincing. "What happened?"

"Susie brushed you off on a tree limb," Honey explained. "I hope you aren't hurt?"

"Nah!" Dan scrambled to his feet, anxious to show them that he wasn't really hurt. The sudden movement made his head spin, and he knew he was swaying where he stood, even as he said, "I'm okay."

"You don't look it," Trixie said bluntly. "You should have lengthened those stirrups. You would have had better control of Susie. I guess you don't know very much about riding." She sounded smug - she might as well have said "I told you so!"

Dan's anger flared again and he glared at her. "But you know all the answers, don't you, freckles?"

Trixie at least had the grace to blush a little, but Dan wasn't finished with her.

"And now I suppose you'll run and tell old Maypenny I tried to break your horse's leg or something!" he sneered at her.

"I will not!" He could tell that she was getting angry now too. "And you ought to be ashamed to speak about your grandfather so disrespectfully!"

Grandfather? What was she - oh! She thought Maypenny was his grandfather! He laughed harshly. "My which? Haw! That old square from squaresville? He's no relation of mine, and quit saying so!"

Dan busied himself brushing show and dirt off himself, off his jacket. He paused when he felt a tear in his jacket sleeve. His jacket, the one that Luke had given him, his status in the gang, and it was ripped. A wave of depression washed over him.

"If you'd like, I can mend that for you so it won't even show. I'll get a needle and black thread from Mr. Maypenny," Honey offered with a friendly smile.

Dan considered her, wondering if she really just wanted to be friends. Then he glanced over at Trixie and realized she was staring at him critically. He flushed and frowned at Honey. "Don't bother," he told her. "I don't need anybody's help."

Honey reacted as if he'd slapped her. Trixie burst out furiously, "You could at least say thanks! You're just lucky if Honey doesn't tell Mr. Maypenny that you tried to ride one of her horses and you didn't know how and it was a wonder you didn't break its neck!" Dan knew she only stopped yelling at him because she'd run out of breath.

Trixie's anger had rekindled his own once again. "Go on, tell him!" Dan yelled. Then he turned on Honey. "And you can tell your rich pa, too, while you're at it! I won't be stuck in this hick town long enough for it to make any difference to me!" Dan turned away and picked up his books, and strode away up the path.

The rest of the week didn't go much better for Dan. Every morning, Maypenny woke him well before dawn so he could walk the line of feeding stations, and feed Brownie and the chickens. Every afternoon, he had to split wood before checking the feed stations again. His uncle started coming over and giving him riding lessons on a horse called Spartan, so that he'd be able to make the rounds of the feeding stations more easily. He spent the evenings trying to get caught up on homework. Most nights, he was up far too late and only got a couple hours sleep.

Every day at school, Dan saw Honey and Trixie with Mart and Brian, and that pretty girl, Diana. Another boy joined them at their lunch table, a red-head that he learned was Honey's adopted brother, Jim. Dan avoided them, continuing to sit with the gang wannabes, playing up his role in the gang. He needed for them to look up to him, to make him feel better, because everything else made him feel so bad.

Saturday afternoon, Maypenny told Dan to build a new stall in the barn so that Spartan could stay there. While Dan was busy doing that, Maypenny went off to check the feed stations himself. Dan was unexpectedly enjoying working with his hands, creating something, when he realized that someone else had come into the barn. He straightened up to see Honey and Trixie.

"Maypenny ain't here. He's out checking the feeding stations," Dan said shortly, unsmiling.

"Oh." Trixie was trying to appear friendly, he could tell. "We thought that was you we saw out there a few minutes ago in the oak grove," she continued.

Dan was confused. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've been right around here ever since I got home from school last night."

Trixie frowned. "It didn't look like Mr. Maypenny."

Dan could feel his anger stirring again. "Meaning you think I'm lying?" he asked curtly.

Honey jumped in quickly, defending her friend. "Trixie didn't mean any such thing. She meant that whoever it was that we saw was wearing a black jacket and cap. We know that Mr. Maypenny always wears a turtleneck sweater and funny-looking wool knickers and a red cap and looks quaint."

Dan didn't really even hear anything she said after the black jacket and cap. "You saw somebody wearing a black jacket and a cap?" he asked, suddenly serious.

"Of course we did," Trixie said impatiently. "And you saw us, too. You were looking right at us when we waved. And I don't know why you're trying to say it wasn't you."

The anger flared to life. "Because it wasn't! It was either old Maypenny you saw or a tramp."

Dan could almost see a light bulb come on over Trixie's head. "Hey, maybe it was a tramp, Honey!" she said. "He didn't want us to see him, so he ducked."

"I suppose it could have been," Honey agreed, "unless Mr. Maypenny has borrowed your jacket and cap."

"Nope," Dan said flatly. He cocked his thumb toward the wall of the other stall where old Spartan was calmly munching on oats and ignoring them. "There's my stuff." He laughed at them. "You two better get yourselves some eyeglasses. You've been seeing things."

Trixie flushed. Dan could see that she was getting angry again. "But -"

Honey stopped her before she could say anything more. "Let's leave the fruit at the house. We'll be late getting home, and your mother will have a fit."

They left, leaving Dan to wonder who they had seen by the oak grove. Could Luke have come? Dan wasn't sure how he felt about that. He wanted to see his old friend from the city. But at the same time, he realized that the last week, as hard as it had been, had also been remarkably fulfilling. Maypenny always treated him with respect. The riding lessons with Uncle Bill were actually rather fun. Thinking about everything, Dan realized that he maybe had started to find a new family. He worried what would happen with this fragile family if Luke had shown up.

The next morning, Sunday, Dan got up early, even before Maypenny, and headed out into the preserve. He wanted to look around, see if he could find any signs that Luke was around. After circling the feed stations, and checking out a few other locations he'd noticed during the week, he hadn't found anything. If Luke was here, he was keeping himself well hidden. Dan decided to head back to the cabin and see if Maypenny had made breakfast.

Dan walked into the cabin and tossed his cap expertly toward the peg on the wall. He turned to see Trixie and Honey in the kitchen with Maypenny, just as Maypenny said, "Oh, here you are!"

Maypenny dumped a batch of hot doughnuts on a plate and said, "The girls have come for Honey's watch."

Her watch? Did they think he'd stolen a watch now? The nerve of these girls! "For what?" was all he said, staring hard at Honey.

Honey had the grace to flush. "Why, my watch. The one you picked up this morning at the trail crossing."

Dan didn't know what they were talking about, and the suggestion that he was stealing from them made him angry. "I haven't seen your watch," he growled. "And I haven't been anywhere near the trail crossing."

"But we saw your boot tracks all around," Trixie retorted. "You must have been there."

"First, I'm a liar because you think you saw me someplace yesterday where I wasn't," Dan blazed at her. "Now you're calling me a thief! You two are just looking for trouble, and if you keep on, you're going to get it!"

"Daniel!" Maypenny shouted. "That's enough of that kind of talk. Are you forgetting ...," he broke off suddenly, before continuing in a milder tone. "Calm down, boy. It's a misunderstanding. Honey and Trixie, tell Dan about the watch."

"I don't know as I want to hear," Dan snarled. "It's nothing to me."

"I'm sorry, Dan. Nobody meant to accuse you of stealing anything," Honey said gently.

Dan stopped bristling quite as much and started listening reluctantly as Honey explained. She had been wearing the watch yesterday, and she and Trixie had stopped near the trail crossing to look at a track. When she'd realized her watch was missing later, she thought it might have fallen off there. This morning, when she and Trixie went to look for it, they had seen footprints in the snow made by high-heeled, pointy toed cowboy boots.

"So we were hoping madly you'd found it!" Honey concluded apologetically.

"Well, I didn't," Dan muttered. He saw Trixie staring at him doubtfully, and bristled all over again. "Even though certain parties would like to say so!"

Grabbing his cap back off the peg, Dan stalked out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

Dan went out to the barn and began cleaning the stalls, fuming all the while. As if he'd have stolen a watch like that anyway! As he worked he started to calm down, and he realized that the sting of being falsely accused hurt worse than he expected. He had stolen things, he had been a thief, but now that he was trying to make a new start and hadn't stolen anything, the pain of the accusation was like a knife in his heart.

Dan continued with his chores, trying to work out the anger and hurt. It was after noon when Maypenny came out to the woodpile.

"Dan!" he called as Dan didn't seem to notice him and continued splitting logs.

Dan jumped a little, startled, and lowered the axe in his hand as he looked up.

"Don't you want something to eat?" Maypenny said. "You skipped breakfast, and its past lunchtime now."

Dan suddenly realized that he was very hungry. He nodded at Maypenny, saying, "I'll just finished this log, and I'll be right in."

Maypenny nodded back, giving an appraising look at the pile of split logs. "You know, boy, I think we've got enough split wood to last us a couple of days there."

Dan gave a sheepish grin as he too looked at the pile. "I wasn't really paying a lot of attention," he said. "I didn't realize I'd chopped so much."

Maypenny just shook his head as he turned around to go back inside. Dan quickly finished the log he had started and followed him in.

Once inside, Dan hung his jacket on a peg, tossed his cap onto another, and walked into the kitchen.

"Got a lot on your mind, son?" Maypenny asked.

Dan just shrugged, unwilling to talk about it. He sat at the table and helped himself to a sandwich from the plate sitting ready. Maypenny gave him a glass of milk, and let him eat in peace. He was still sitting there when a knock sounded at the cabin door.

Maypenny went to the door, opening it wide when he saw Regan standing there.

"I need to talk to the boy," Regan said.

Maypenny nodded, put on his coat and hat and left the cabin. Regan stood awkwardly by the door until Maypenny had gone. Then he slowly walked into the kitchen and sat down opposite Dan.

Dan realized that his uncle must've heard what had happened with the watch. He felt sick inside as he realized that he was probably going to lose his last chance at a family. He stiffened his spine, and told himself that he didn't care. He could take care of himself.

"I supposed those girls have told you that I stole that watch," Dan said sullenly.

Regan nodded. His face was white and he looked as sick as Dan felt. "Did you?" he asked.

"Naw. But all you've got is my word, which isn't worth much."

Regan searched Dan's eyes. "I went by the trail crossing. The boot prints there do look like yours."

Dan's anger flared once again. "I wasn't there! I didn't make those prints and I didn't take the damned watch!"

"Daniel!" Regan flared back. "Watch your language! And watch your temper." He turned a little away from Dan, shaking his head. "I want to believe you - I really do - but the evidence is against you."

Dan got up from the table and went to put on his jacket and cap. "I don't care whether you believe me or not. Believe those rich kids if you want! I'm sorry I ever came here!" He opened the door to walk out, saying, "I have chores to do."

Regan was still sitting at the table, his head in his hands, when Maypenny returned several minutes later. Neither spoke as Maypenny hung up his coat and sat down at the table. Finally, Maypenny broke the silence.

"He's a good worker, Bill. He's been doing everything I've asked of him, and he studies hard every afternoon," Maypenny said.

Regan didn't raise his head as he said, "But is he a thief? I know he did some stealing in the city, but I was hoping he could leave that behind."

The silence returned for several moments. Then Regan lifted his head from his hands.

"I can't have him here, around Honey and Jim, or any of the others, if he's going to persist in stealing."

Maypenny continued to watch him without saying a word.

Regan nodded, as if Maypenny had spoken. "I know, I know. It's my decision." Regan took a deep breath, rubbing his face hard. "He said he hadn't been down by the trail crossing, but I went by there. Those boot prints of his are very distinctive. No one else around here wears boots like that. He may as well have signed his name. So he's lying to me as well." Regan sighed. "I guess he'll have to go back. I'll make arrangements to take care of it before the end of the week."

Regan stood and Maypenny followed him to the door. Regan paused there and shook Maypenny's hand. "Thank you for taking him in, George."

"My pleasure, Bill," Maypenny told him. "I'm real sorry it didn't work out." He hesitated a moment before adding, "Dan's out in the barn - do you want me to tell him?"

Regan looked grim as he said, "No. Thanks, but I'll do it."

Maypenny nodded as Regan headed out.

Dan stood in the barn staring after his uncle after hearing the verdict that he would be sent back to the city, where they would send him to a boy's home. He didn't know if he felt more like crying or like striking out in anger. If only his uncle would believe him! He finished up his chores, moving in slow motion. When Maypenny called him in for dinner, he ate in silence. He felt Maypenny looking at him, watching him with sympathetic eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to look up. He cleaned up the kitchen after and went straight up to his room, all without speaking.

The next day at school, Dan avoided Mart as much as he could, sure that Trixie would have told him that Dan was a thief. At lunch, he made it a point to brag to Ken, Tom and Mike that he was going to be going back to the city soon. He did his best to make it sound like he was happy to be returning, that he preferred it that way. Inside, he still felt like crying.

After school, Maypenny showed Dan how to set a snare for pheasant, and then asked him to go out to set a couple - Mr. Wheeler was going to have a private party and he wanted to serve pheasant to his guests. As Dan was out in the preserve, he saw Trixie and Honey riding toward him. He stood, glaring defiantly at them as they came up, hoping they'd just ride past. When it became obvious they wanted to talk, and stopped just a few feet from him, he couldn't help taking out some of his feelings of self-pity on them.

"What do you want to talk about? I told you I've got work to do!" he barked as Trixie approached.

"You don't need to snap my head off!" she retorted. "We just wanted to tell you that we've decided that it was somebody else who found Honey's watch and sold it to Mr. Lytell. Not you."

So now they were going to believe him?! He snarled at her, "What am I supposed to say? 'Thank you, ma'am'?"

"Of course not!" Honey came up next to Trixie and smiled at him. "We just want you to know that we're going to tell Mr. Maypenny right now that we're sure we were mistaken."

"Don't bother!" he snapped, using his bravado to cover his true feelings. "I'm getting out of this backwoods joint in a coupla days, and what that old square thinks about me means exactly zero." He turned his back on the girls to continue setting the snare, hoping they'd get the hint and leave him alone.

"Come on, Honey," Trixie said. "Let's leave before Mr. Hydrophobia gets sore enough to bite one of us!"

Once he'd heard them continuing down the trail, Dan straightened up to look after them. What was he thinking? They wanted to apologize! They finally were ready to accept that he was innocent, and he'd just thrown it back in their faces. His shoulders drooped dejectedly, thinking that he'd blown it again. Then he saw Honey wave to him, and his heart soared - maybe he still had a chance.

He took his cap from his head and waved back. "He's up at Storm King hunting for that wildcat!" he called to the girls, hoping that they would find Maypenny and tell him the truth.

"We'll find him. Thanks!" Honey called before they rode on.

Dan turned back to the job at hand, feeling strangely reassured.

When Dan returned to the cabin after finishing his rounds of the feed stations, all the lights inside were on, but Maypenny wasn't home. Luke was there instead.

Dan stopped just inside the doorway, staring at Luke who had straightened up from rummaging in the fridge. Then he took his jacket off and hung it on a peg and locked the door before walking in.

"Now I know why those girls thought they'd seen me - it was you in the woods. It was you who found Honey's watch and sold it," Dan said.

Luke grinned at him. "Hey, Dan. Aren't you even going to say hello? Aren't you glad to see me?"

"Hello. Glad to see you," Dan said, flatly. "Now, I suggest you go upstairs to my room and wait for me there - Mr. Maypenny will be back any moment, and I don't think he'll be happy to see you."

"That old square in the turtle-neck and funny pants?" Luke asked. "We don't have to worry about him."

Dan had taken Luke by the arm, and was leading him to the stairs, but suddenly stopped. "What do you mean by that?"

Luke gave him a self-satisfied grin, but before he could say anything they heard knocking at the door.

"Hey, Dan! Open up! Mr. Maypenny's been hurt!" someone called outside.

Dan gave Luke a push to the stairs, and walked to the door without looking behind. He opened the door to see Brian and Jim supporting Maypenny. Mart, Trixie and Honey stood behind them.

"A tree branch fell on him. It's just a cut, I think," Brian explained hastily, "but I'd better take a couple of stitches."

Dan reached out to take Mr. Maypenny's arm and support him into the house. "I'll take care of him, I know how. Thanks for your help," he said brusquely, "but you can go now!"

Dan started to close the door behind him, but Brian stuck his boot in the door.

"Just a minute, bud," Brian said grimly. "I'm not sure you know how to take care of Mr. Maypenny and we're not going to take any chances on it." He pushed forward, followed by the others.

"Get out, all of you!" Dan's fear that they'd discover Luke turned to anger. "We don't need your help!"

Before he could say anything more, or move further into the cabin, Maypenny sagged against him. Dan almost buckled under the weight.

Brian nodded at Jim and the two of them stepped forward to take Maypenny from Dan and help him to the sofa against the wall. Once they had him lying down, Brian began to remove Maypenny's coat.

Dan stood over them, almost shaking with fear and anger. The anger was all he dared show.

"Let him alone and get out of here, I said! We don't need you."

"Just keep out of the way," Brian told him sharply. "Trixie, get into the kitchen and start some water boiling. We'll have to find some bandages, too. I'm sure he has some around somewhere."

"Okay, Doc!" Trixie said with a fleeting grin for her brother.

"There's a first-aid kit in the bathroom," Dan said, trying to sound sullen rather than pouty. "I'll bring it." He stalked across the room.

When he returned, Jim, Brian and Mart were still fussing over Mr. Maypenny and the girls were in the kitchen. He handed the first aid kit to Brian.

"Thanks," Brian said, barely looking up. Dan started to turn away, helpless, when Brian looked up at him. "Hey, would you see what's taking the girls so long with the boiled water?"

Dan walked over to the kitchen. As he did, he could hear the girls talking. He stopped in the doorway.

"Not if he needed money for cigarettes and only had enough allowance or wages to pay for his school lunch and the bus," Trixie was saying.

"He certainly is acting awfully strange about letting the boys help Mr. Maypenny!" Honey said. "Do you suppose - oh, I shouldn't even think such things about the poor boy, but - do you suppose he has stolen things from us that we haven't missed yet, and he didn't want us to see them here? Like skates or some of our summer stuff?"

"Wouldn't be surprised," Trixie answered soberly. "I'm going to keep my eyes open, and if I see anything which belongs to one of us ...," she broke off, suddenly seeing Dan standing in the doorway.

Dan glared at Trixie. Both girls had the grace to look guilty, but Dan didn't give them a chance to give him excuses. "What about the hot water?" he asked sharply. "You dames going to take all day getting it?"

Trixie's face was bright red as she stammered out, "Tell Brian we'll bring it right now!"

Frowning at them, Dan turned on his heel and left. He returned to the living room, and realized that he really couldn't help with Mr. Maypenny. Feeling out of sorts, scared, angry and helpless all at once, he slumped into a chair, sticking his feet straight out.

Brian stitched up the gash on Mr. Maypenny's head*, muttering with Jim and Mart on the best method. Finally it was done, and the girls came out of the kitchen to join them. Dan saw them looking toward the stairs leading to his room and wondered why. But he didn't wonder long, as Mr. Maypenny was sitting up and trying to laugh off the idea that his head hurt.

"You'll be all right sir, if you'll just rest here till morning," Brian told him. "I wouldn't get up and wander around if I were you. You're likely to get dizzy."

Mr. Maypenny's voice was awfully faint when he answered. "I'll get along, boy. And much obliged for the bandagin'. The lad here will take care of me now," Maypenny smiled at Dan, then closed his eyes and laid his head back with a groan.

"Think we ought to phone Doc Tremaine to ride over and see him in the morning?" Jim whispered to Brian.

Dan had had enough of these rich kids poking into things. "You heard what Mr. Maypenny said," he told them defiantly. "I can look out for him if he needs it. You just forget about calling any doctor! I'll take care of him."

"What do you know about head injuries?" Brian asked sharply.

"I've been conked on the bean a couple of times," Dan lied, scowling. He had only been hit once, just before he had been arrested, but some of the other gang members had been. "I didn't have to drag in a sawbones to cure me." He pointed to the door. "Why don't the bunch of you get out? You rich kids always have to play it your way. Nobody else knows anything. Big men!"

"Rich kids! Boy!" Mart exploded, facing Dan with disgust. "Boy are you misinformed! We Beldens aren't rich. I wish we were - I'm lazy. But we live on a farm, and all of us kids work hard to make it go."

"And our dad puts in eight hours a day on his job at the bank, sometimes lots longer," Trixie put in, "for his salary!"

Dan glowered at them. "What about him?" he nodded toward Jim. "And Honey? They're rollin' in it!"

"Jim was worse off than you've ever been," Brian said quietly, "not many months ago."

Dan scowled at Jim, who smiled and nodded. "Broke, a runaway, and scared. And I haven't forgotten it. But I think it would do Mr. Maypenny a lot more good if we got out of here than it will if we stand around arguing."

"Come on, kids." Brian shooed the girls and Mart toward the front door.

Trixie stopped near the door. She looked back at Dan with fire in her eyes. "You do hiss and coil like a snake. A copperhead!" As she finished speaking, she turned and flounced toward the door. She wasn't looking where she was going and hit her shin on a chair. She squealed, "Ouch!" and grabbed the back of the chair to support herself as she rubbed the bump.

Dan suddenly realized that Luke's jacket was on the back of the chair, right under Trixie's hand. He froze, hoping she wouldn't notice it - wouldn't notice that it wasn't his jacket.

Trixie glanced back at Dan, and saw the worried look on his face, saw that he was looking at the jacket. She angrily snatched it off the back of the chair and flung it at Dan. "Don't look so mean!" she stormed at him. "I was hardly touching your disgusting old jacket! I wasn't hurting it! Take a good look!"

Dan tried to catch the jacket, but it landed on the floor, spread wide. The white lettering on the back, spelling out 'The Cowhands' was obvious. He also realized that the sleeves were displayed as well - and neither of them had a tear.

Trixie stared at the jacket. "Why, that isn't the same ja -" she began.

Dan resorted to his old surliness to hide the fear that had leapt high inside him. "Get out, will you!" he shouted, snatching up the jacket and putting it behind him.

"Trixie!" Brian poked his head back in around the door. "Come on! Stop squabbling, both of you! Have a little consideration for Mr. Maypenny."

Trixie turned and followed her brother out. Dan strode across the room to shut and lock the door behind her.

Leaning against the door, Dan let himself shake for a moment, his eyes closed. Hearing Maypenny moan slightly, he pulled himself up and took a deep breath. Then he got busy getting Maypenny into his own bed, and making sure he was comfortable. Leaving the old man to rest, Dan went up to his room to confront Luke.

Standing at the top of the stairs, looking into his room, Dan stared at Luke who had made himself comfortable on his bed.

"What are you doing here?" Dan demanded.

Luke gave him a lazy smile. "I came to see how you were doing, Dan. I got your letter saying that your uncle was bringing you to this hick town. Thought I'd see what it was like in the country." He looked around the room. "This is real cozy. 'Course, there's nothing fun to do around here." He gave Dan a quizzical look. "Hey, that old man is your uncle?"

Dan shook his head. "No. My uncle's place is too small, and Mr. Maypenny needed help in the preserve, so they arranged for me to live here." He started to prowl around the room.

"Oh. Then I guess I don't have to apologize to you for hitting him," Luke said.

Dan spun to face Luke. "What?"

Luke sat up, shrugging. "I think he saw me, out there in the woods. I couldn't let him say anything, so I took this piece of a branch I'd picked up and hit him with it." He gave a nasty grin. "After I did, I found his wallet and cleaned it out - gotta pick up money anyway I can out here." He looked at Dan, expecting him to follow along as he had in the city.

Dan looked back at Luke and realized that he'd never again make a good gang member. He knew what Luke had done was wrong, and he just couldn't go along with it any more - he couldn't still that voice in his head. Besides, Maypenny had never been anything but nice to him, and he didn't like it that Luke had hurt the old man so callously.

Luke paid no attention to Dan's hesitation. "Look, kiddo, let's get down to business. Tell me about the Wheeler place - what's the layout? What kind of pickins can we get there?"

Dan shook his head. "No, Luke. We're not robbing the Wheelers."

Luke sneered at him. "What's the matter, Dan? You going yeller?"

Dan turned to look out the window. "I won't do it. That's all."

It was a long, sleepless night for Dan. In between hourly checkups on old Maypenny, he and Luke argued about robbing the wealthy families in the area. If not the Wheelers, then Luke wanted to try the Lynches, or someone else.

"I gotta make this trip worthwhile, Dan," Luke insisted.

Finally, close to dawn, Dan realized that he'd have to leave with Luke. It was the only chance he'd have to try to keep him from robbing anyone. After a final check on Maypenny, Dan wrote a note, which he left on the kitchen table saying that he was leaving. As an afterthought, he added a 'thank you' at the bottom. He picked up his suitcase, full of clothes Uncle Bill had bought him and turned to go. He was sorry to walk out the door, knowing that he wouldn't be back. But it was for the best if it meant he could keep an eye on Luke. He shut the door behind him and led Luke into the woods.

All through the day, Dan and Luke continued to argue. Dan tried to get Luke to go into town with him and get on a bus heading for the city. But the furthest he was able to get Luke to go was the edge of the preserve, where they could watch the comings and goings around the Wheeler estate. They stayed out of sight and watched, avoiding any of the several people moving around.

"Look," Dan said. "It's a busy place. Lots of people, always around. It's too risky."

Luke just shrugged. "I bet we could do it after everyone goes to sleep. It's a big house - if we're careful, no one upstairs will hear us downstairs."

Late in the afternoon, as the sun was going down, Dan convinced Luke to go further into the woods, where they could light a fire without being seen. Dan wanted to have a chance to warm up. They walked past the lake just as the sun was setting, making a beautiful scene with scurrying pink and crimson clouds. On the ice, they could see a single girl gliding along, twirling and leaping. Dan turned his back, not wanting to see, and pulled Luke along with him up over the hill.

As they walked through the woods, Dan found one of the snares he had set the day before, with a pheasant caught in it. The boys took this treat along to eat - after having nothing all day, they were both very hungry.

Deep in the woods, they found a place to build a fire. They roasted the pheasant on the flames and continued their argument. Once Luke was finished eating, he stood over Dan and tried to force him to go with him. Dan just shook his head. Finally, Luke turned away, putting his backpack over his shoulder.

"You know, you wouldn't have passed up an opportunity like this in the city!" Luke told him.

"A guy can change his mind about things, can't he?" Dan protested.

"Yeah, if he's too yeller to take a chance!" Luke sneered. "Your letter said there'd be good pickins at the Wheeler joint. You said you'd show me the ropes so we could get in an' out again without any trouble. Now you're backin' down!"

Dan got to his feet to face Luke. "But, Luke! They're not like I thought they were. They're real regular, and so's old man Maypenny."

"You're just yeller," Luke insisted with a sneer. "You've got it soft here, and your real friends don't mean a thing to you anymore. I oughta give you a beatin'!"

Dan stepped back. Luke had always ruled over the other kids in the gang, and had beaten them to get them to toe the line, but he hadn't beat Dan - he'd never had a reason to. But Dan knew that he could. Luke turned away.

"Come on! I oughta leave you here, but I'll give you one last chance. Are you comin' or are you hangin' around the backwoods some more?"

"Aw, don't rush me," Dan told him. "I'm thinkin' it over. Anyhow, why can't we just get out of here and head back to the city? We can figure out plenty of ways to get more money there than you can get breakin' into Wheelers'. How about it, Luke? Let's call off the action and pull out?"

"Go ahead and welsh out, bud," Luke said with a nasty laugh. "But I'll still go ahead."

Dan decided that letting Luke go by himself was a good answer. He wouldn't have to help him, and if he could get to a phone, or even just to Uncle Bill's, he could warn the Wheeler's. "No hard feelings, Luke?"

"Nah, kid!" Luke chuckled. "Only, if I get nabbed by the cops, I'll tell 'em you're in on it, too. And I'll tell 'em you clobbered old Maypenny and swiped his wallet."

Dan's hopes fell. "They won't believe you! I wasn't near the place! I didn't know you were going to do it!"

"Who's goin' to believe you, kid? Not the cops, not your uncle. Better change your mind and come along!" Luke laughed. He picked up Dan's suitcase and threw it at him. "Here!"

Dan stood there, clutching his suitcase, uncertain what to do next. He turned to follow Luke, still wondering. Then, suddenly, Trixie burst into the clearing.

"Dan! You've got to help me! Bobby's caught in a hole, and I can't pull him out!" Trixie stumbled and burst out crying.

Dan stopped, staring at her in amazement. Then he dropped his bag and ran to her.

"Trixie! What's the idea of being way out here after dark? Don't you have any brains?"

"Trixie, hey?" Luke cut in. "So that's the snooper! Come on, leave her there. She's cooked up a story again, like you said she was always doin'. She don't need any help. She's probably tryin' to stall us here so her snooty friends can catch you for the law!"

"I'm not!" Trixie glared at him through her tears. "Dan, you've got to believe me! Bobby's stuck in a cave, and ...," she broke off with a little cry of despair as a catamount howled. "If you don't come and help him, that awful thing may get him!"

"The poor little guy!" Dan said. "Where is he? How far is it?"

"I'll show you, but hurry!" Trixie pulled at his jacket sleeve. "Please, please hurry!"

Dan looked apologetically at Luke. "Won't take long. I'll be right back. He's only a six-year-old kid!"

"And you're a fool, Dan Mangan, if you think I'm hangin' around any longer. Stay here with your friends, but don't forget, if anything happens where I'm going, you're in it deep!"

Luke turned and strode out of sight into the darkness of the woods.

For a minute, Dan stared after him, thinking he should go after him, try again to stop him. But Trixie pulled at his sleeve. "Please, Dan! We are your friends, really. Don't mind him! Come and help Bobby, please!"

"Okay, okay!" Dan said. "Which way? And we better hurry. That cat sounded nearer this time!"

Trixie looked about, then led him to a clump of yarn that was apparently the remains of a sweater she had been wearing. "There!" she said. "That's the way!"

"Wait a minute!" Dan called as she started off. He took off his black leather jacket and caught up with Trixie. "Here, get into this! I won't need it!"

"But you'll be cold!" she protested, but she didn't resist as Dan helped her into it.

"Not if we move fast," he assured her. "Besides, I can take it better than a girl."

Dan took a flashlight out of his pocket, picked up the yarn and quickly lead the way into the woods, following the it. Before long, they came to the mouth of a small cave. Trixie called out softly as they went into it, "Bobby, honey, are you awake?"

Dan played his flashlight around, then centered it on the gaping hole in the floor. Trixie ran forward and knelt at the edge. "Bobby," she called uncertainly, "are you asleep?"

"Better let me get down," Dan advised. "He's probably fast asleep, so don't try to wake him up till I get a chance to see the lay of the land and find out what's holding him."

"A rock," Trixie told him, her voice trembling slightly.

"Might be just some earth," Dan reassured her. "Quit getting hysterical! Girls make me sick!" He hoped that being brusque would help her get control. Then he let himself and his flashlight down into the hole.

"I'm sorry," Trixie told him in a firmer voice. "Tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Dan made his way slowly down the hole as it got smaller and tighter. Then he found the small boy, his curly blonde head pillowed on his arms. As he flashed his light around, trying to get a good look at the rocks around Bobby's feet, Bobby lifted his head.

"Hello, mister," he said sleepily. "Did you falled down the hole, too?"

Dan made his voice a cheerful as he could as he said, "Sure did, boy! But we're going to climb out real quick, aren't we?"

"Uh-huh," Bobby agreed. "Where's Trixie? She runned away."

"I'm right here, Bobby!" Trixie's voice called down, sounding bright and cheerful. "And this is Danny Mangan, honey, who's come to get you out of that mean old hole!"

"That's good!" Bobby said. "But hurry. I'm hungry."

Dan finished looking at the rocks, and another thought occurred to him. He patted Bobby's head gently and said, "Be right back, Bobby. I've got to get something."

"Awright," Bobby said.

Dan turned around in the hole and stood up on tiptoe to beckon Trixie closer as he took a box of matches out of his pocket. "Here, take these matches and get a fire started," he whispered to her. "As big a one as you can, so somebody'll be sure to see it! The air down there is getting bad, and I don't know how long it's going to take to chip away the rock that's holding Bobby's legs."

"But you don't have anything to chip it with!" Trixie moaned. "What are you going to do?"

"Use this." Dan took a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open with a touch. "Luke just gave it to me. He brought it for me to use when we held up the Wheelers."

"Oh!" Trixie stared at it, fascinated. "What a horrible looking thing! Is that a switchblade?"

"Yeah! And I darn near wouldn't take it! Boy, am I glad now I did!" He ducked back down into the hole, returning to Bobby.

Following the boy's legs down, Dan found the rock holding them and began to chip away at it with the knife. "Say, this isn't as hard as it looked," he told Bobby cheerfully. "Got another big hunk loose. You just stay flat there, sonny, and we'll have you out before you can say:

"Tip-tap, rip-rap," Bobby repeated. "Say it again!"

Dan laughed for Bobby's sake and repeated the rhyme again, and then again, as Bobby worked to memorize it.

Dan kept working at the rock. He had to wiggle further into the hole to reach around the boy's feet. Finally, he thought he'd gotten enough of it broken out of the way.

"Looks like we've got it, bud. Let's see you make believe you're a little frog. Wiggle your legs and scrunch along on your tummy!"

Bobby giggled and started to wiggle and scrunch. "Gunk! Grunk!" he said, trying to imitate frog language.

Dan laughed. "Hi, froggy! Come on out!"

Dan backed out of the way and watched Bobby wriggle out of the narrow opening. He was grimy and his face was streaked with mud from crying. Once he got of the hole, Dan helped him stand up. He looked straight up at Trixie.

"When are we going home?" he demanded. "I'm hungry!"

Trixie caught him up in a hug. "Darling!" He wiggled loose and she set him down, turning to Dan.

"Thanks, so much!" she told him, smiling. She thrust out her hand to him. "Friend?"

Dan hesitated, then took her hand. "Okay, friend." He dropped her hand and stepped back. "You'd better keep that fire going outside, so your friends can find you. I think I'll be going."

Trixie regarded him soberly. "I wish you could stick around. Dad will want to say thanks, and so will Moms and the boys."

Dan wished he could stay too, but he figured it would be better all around if he didn't. He shook his head. "I don't belong around here. My uncle's taking me back to the city at the end of the week. I guess that's the right place for me."

The firelight shone on their faces, and Dan could see the regret on Trixie's face.

"I suppose you know what's best, but we'd all like you to stay in Sleepyside. We have lots of fun, and I know you would, too."

Dan nodded soberly, feeling the sadness of a second chance lost. "Yeah, I guess I might. But I don't think some people would want me around when it gets out about Luke and all."

"Nonsense!" Trixie asserted, her normal sure self. "If they don't -"

Bobby ran up and grabbed her arm. "Trixie! My shoe! My shoe's down there! Get it for me!"

Trixie stared down at Bobby, not understanding for a second.

"I losted my shoe an' my foot's c-c-cold!" Bobby insisted, clinging to her sleeve. "Please, Trixie, get it for me. It's down in the hole."

"But, Bobby - " Trixie hesitated.

"I want my shoe!" Bobby wailed, bursting into tears.

"Oh, all right!" she agreed. "Here, Dan." She took off the black leather jacket and handed it to Dan. "You'd better wear this yourself now."

Dan took it reluctantly. "Thanks. Guess I'll be on my way. Maybe I can catch up with Luke and talk him out of going to the Wheelers'. Be seeing you sometime." He put his jacket on and turned to go. Before he could even get out of the light of the fire, the screech of the catamount came again.

Trixie threw her arms around Bobby and turned to Dan with a pleading look. "Please don't go! I'm scared!" she called to him.

Dan hesitated, but he really didn't want to leave these two alone in the woods with that cat, so he turned back. "Okay, I'll stay till we're sure your search party's close." He drew the switchblade from his pocket and snapped it open again, facing the direction the cat's cries seemed to have come from.

Another yowl, nearer than the others, and Bobby held onto Trixie even tighter. "Let's go home!" he demanded tearfully. "I don't like it here!"

"Trixie! Bobby!" Dan heard a man calling. He turned and now could see some flashlights as a search party approached.

Trixie was trembling with fear, holding tight to Bobby. "C-can you see any yellow eyes?" she asked Dan.

"Nah," Dan assured her. He still held the knife though, and his voice shook a little, belying his calm confidence. "It won't come here as long as you keep the fire going."

Dan had barely finished speaking when the mountain lion yowled again, closer yet. But this time the awful screech broke off suddenly as a rifle shot blasted deafeningly somewhere out in the darkness.

The three of them stood in frozen silence by the fire, waiting. A sudden crashing in the underbrush made Dan tighten his grip on his knife and place himself between Trixie and Bobby and whatever was coming through the brush. He was afraid it would be that cat.

He was relieved at seeing his Uncle Bill shove his way through the bushes, rifle in hand.

"Trixie!" he was shouting. "Bobby!" Then he saw Dan, knife in hand apparently barring his way to the two clinging together behind him. "Drop it, Dan!" the big man called out harshly. "Don't try to use it!"

Dan's relief turned to stunned disbelief, then anger as he realized that his uncle thought he was threatening Trixie and Bobby. He just couldn't move, and made no resistance as Uncle Bill stalked up to him and snatched the knife out of his hand. Uncle Bill gripped him by the arm and called back to the others who were crashing through the brush after him. "They're okay, Mr. Belden!"

Trixie didn't even notice as her father and brothers rushed in. Instead, she was shouting at Regan. "He wasn't trying to do anything wrong! He was only trying to protect us from that horrible wildcat!"

Regan looked astonished. He turned abruptly to Dan. "Is that the truth, Dan? Out with it!"

Dan shrugged. It hurt that his only family still didn't believe in him. He resorted to his old methods of hiding his feelings with sarcasm. "What did you think I was doing? Holding them for a kidnap payoff or something?"

Regan looked doubtful, and the others were staring at Dan and Trixie.

Brian brought a cup of hot broth from a Thermos to offer to Trixie. She waved it aside. "Dan needs that more than I do," she said. "He came right away when I asked him to help us, and he made me wear his jacket so I wouldn't get cold while he was crawling down into that horrible hole to save Bobby from freezing to death with his legs caught under a rock!"

Everyone turned to look at Dan with admiration in their eyes. Suddenly, Dan didn't know where to look, it was uncomfortable to see that kind of look directed at him. He looked at his feet instead, only glancing up briefly when Brian handed the cup of broth to him.

"Thanks, Dan," Mr. Belden said quietly, holding Bobby tightly in his arms. "We won't forget it."

Bobby looked up as Mart draped a blanket around him in his father's arms. "I falled in a hole, but the kitty wasn't there. An' Dan digged me out, an' there was a fairy shoemaker an' he said -" A big yawn interrupted the story, and he ended sleepily, "Tip-tap, rip-rap," then he was sound asleep.

"It was just a little rhyme," Dan apologized softly. "About a leprechaun." He looked at Uncle Bill. "My mum used to tell it to me."

"A leprechaun!" Trixie clapped her hands. "I know what we'll do! We need something special for the carnival! We'll have Dan recite the rhyme, and Bobby will do his little skating number dressed in a leprechaun costume! Honey can make it in nothing flat!"

"Sounds like a swell idea!" Mart agreed.

"Danny's a good skater, aren't you, boy?" Uncle Bill asked him. "Didn't I hear that you won a medal in the Police Athletic League games a couple of years ago?"

"Yeah." Dan was embarrassed again, and hadn't thought about that for years. "But I haven't skated for a long time."

"That's easy to take care of," Trixie said eagerly. "We still have a few days before Saturday and the carnival, and you can practice like mad. We're all going to, and if you don't have your skates with you, you can use Mart's or Brian's old ones. We can sharpen them up for you!"

"Needn't bother, Trixie," Uncle Bill said, putting his arm across Dan's shoulders. "I'll pick up a pair for my nephew in town tomorrow morning, brand-new, and he can start practicing tomorrow afternoon."

Dan looked at his uncle, wondering. Maybe he really would be able to make good on this second chance. Maybe his uncle really would become family, given time to get to know one another. For the first time in longer than he could remember, Dan relaxed in the presence of other people.

Dan looked around at these people who could be friends. He realized that Trixie now had a blanket across her shoulders, and a cup in her hand as well. Brian was offering her more broth from the Thermos, but she shook her head.

"I feel great now. Let's start home. Moms must be simply frantic with worry about Bobby," she said.

"She was frantic about both of you!" Brian said soberly. "She was sure you both had been kidnaped by that tramp that robbed our clubhouse."

"The tramp!" Trixie looked like she'd suddenly thought of something. "Dan!"

Dan looked at her, surprised. She knew he wasn't the tramp, why was she yelling at him?

"Dan!" she exclaimed again. "Tell them what that awful Luke is planning to do! Maybe Regan can get there and stop him before he does it!"

"What's all this?" Regan demanded, looking from Trixie to Dan.

Dan hesitated, scowling, uncertain again just how much his uncle would be willing to believe.

Trixie snapped, "Go on! Don't forget what he promised to do to you because you wouldn't help him! It's not snitching to protect your own self from a person like him!"

Taking a deep breath, and hoping she was right that this was the correct thing to do, he told the story of Luke's coming to Sleepyside from the city, and his plans to rob the Manor House. He was surprised that Regan showed no signs of alarm when he'd finished the tale.

Mr. Belden smiled and told him, "This Luke will run into big trouble if he tries it. Mr. Wheeler hired extra guards to patrol the Manor House grounds when he came home and found out the clubhouse had been burglarized. Luke will run head on into them if he steps on the Wheeler estate."

"Whew! That's swell!" Trixie beamed. "Just think, Dan, if you had let him talk you into going there with him, you'd have been in trouble for sure!"

Dan nodded, thinking soberly about the choices he'd made since his mother had gotten sick. He was very glad that he'd listened to his conscience this time, instead of ignoring it as he had for so long.

"Shall we get started for home?" Brian asked, to break the silence. Suddenly, everyone was bustling about, gathering blankets, Thermos bottles and cups and putting out the fire.

"And we're going to forget about Bobby's lost shoe," Mr. Belden told Trixie when she suggested going into the cave to find it. "Mother will put away this one he's wearing, and he'll forget all about having lost a shoe here. We don't want him coming out to look for it!"

"And I'll see he's furnished with a kitten as soon as ever I can find one," Regan promised her. "We want no more expeditions anything like this one of his!"

"Oh." Trixie looked scared as she looked out into the darkness. "Shouldn't we take along some burning torches," she asked nervously, "in case that wildcat is still around? He might jump down on one of us from a tree!"

Regan chuckled and patted the stock of his rifle. "His jumping days are over, Trixie. I got a good sight on him at less than twenty yards' range, and next time you see him, he'll be a rug for your room."

"I think I'll let somebody else have him," Trixie assured everyone. "I don't even want to think about that particular kitty again!"

Bobby looked up from his father's shoulder. "Where's the kitty? Can we go find the kitty now?"

"The kitty's run away, skipper," Mr. Belden told him. "We'll have to find you another one."

Then they were all tramping through the woods to Mr. Maypenny's cabin. Dan realized he was looking forward to returning to the old man.

The next day, Dan had to accompany Uncle Bill back to the city. Regan was supposed to be turning Dan over to be sent to a reform school, but now that the facts were known, Regan was going to fight for Dan to come back to Sleepyside with him. It took several days, but finally, the judge agreed.

As they walked out of the courthouse for the last time, Dan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come on, Dan. I'll take you home," his uncle said.

Unexpectedly, the familiar fear, and sadness, and a tinge of anger, flared suddenly in Dan's heart. "No!" he said vehemently. "No, I haven't got any home. I don't want any home." He turned away, tears threatening to fall.

He felt his uncle walk up behind him and place hand on his shoulder.

"Dan? I don't understand." Uncle Bill asked.

Dan shook his head. "I had a home, once. But it's gone now. Gone with my mother and father."

Uncle Bill nodded. "I lost my parents when I was young, too - younger than you."

"It's not the same," Dan said angrily. "You at least still had a sister who loved you, even if she couldn't keep you with her. I have no one."

Uncle Bill quietly walked around to face Dan, and put his hands on Dan's upper arms, trying to see into his face. "You have me," he said quietly.

Dan looked up suddenly, his dark eyes meeting his uncle's green ones, searching. "You don't even know me, not really, not yet," he said in a ragged whisper. "How can you say that, how can you want me, when you don't even know all that I've done, all that I am?"

Uncle Bill found it hard to speak around the lump in his throat, and his voice sounded hoarse as he forced it out. "I do know you, Dan. I know enough, anyway. Besides, you're family, Dan. The only family I have left. That's all I need to know."

Dan shook his head, denying the emotion in Uncle Bill's voice, and looked away. "But I've been ... it's been so hard, I've done so many things," his voice trailed off.

Bill nodded. "I know." He shrugged. "I may not know details, but I have an idea. I'll help you come to terms with it all, and with yourself, if you let me." He gave Dan a gentle shake. "You're my sister's son. I love you, no matter what you've done."

Dan looked up, meeting Uncle Bill's eyes again, searching for signs of sincerity.

"Please, let me help you," Uncle Bill whispered. "Let me take you home."

Finally, Dan nodded.

Thank you once again to my wonderful, wonderful editors - Mal, Trish & CLynn. I don't know what I'd do without you guys!

Pictures from the Deluxe edition, scanned by Dana. Thanks for letting me use them!!

*Notes: Mal pointed out a couple of KK errors - I was working from a short & ugly edition of Black Jacket in which the injured horse is Thunderer, not Jupiter. Since none of the other books, before or after, ever mention Thunderer, I decided to go along with Mal's suggestion to change the horse to Jupiter.

Also, when Mr. Maypenny gets hurt, Brian makes a big deal about getting a needle and thread sterilized so he can stitch up Maypenny's head, but the book isn't clear on if he actually takes any stitches. Honey carries the needle and thread on a sterile gauze pad into the living room where the boys are, but then the girls (and the book's pov) return to the kitchen. The next time the book returns to the living room, the boys are done with the bandaging. I'm assuming that Brian actually took a stitch or two, but that's guesswork on my part. And it may be different in other editions of the book.

Your mileage may vary!

The three guys that Dan has lunch with - Ken Paitel, Tom Wickman and Mike LaFonse - are named for three guys I knew in high school. None of them were gang members, or ill-behaved in any way! In fact, I had a huge crush on Tom for years! Their names are used without permission.