At Whispering Pine Lodge

o know that his first impression of the sturdy looking young chap was confirm

ad received a real shock. At the same time the eyes

read a heap about that sort of thing in the papers and magazines, but I never thought I'd actually run across anybody th

e pride in his manner, Max could easily see; "and if the try turns out as profitable as I reckon she promises t

sted Steve, eagerly, "so you know their habits to a fraction; because, of course, only

d and nodde

ery hard to raise foxes. I was afraid fust off it might be what they told me, that blacks ain't to be relie

own eyes what he had been doing. Bandy-legs, skeptical once more, told himself he only hoped the whole t

oney," remarked Steve; "fact is, we know that to be so, because we onc

much as three hundred dollars, because they've got defects, yuh see. Then again a

s own or not, Bandy-legs concluded. And then he again allowed himself to give imagination

rnacular which Max tried to get the hang of, in order to judge whether it signified that the country boy lacked an education or not. He continued to be more or less mystified, however, th

the really interesting descriptions given by the other of his successes, and first failures along the di

if he meant to leave them, he took a hand in the conversation, which up to t

e went on to say; "but you'll have to give us directions how we can get there, unless you mean to acc

ooked

easy in my mind 'bout them two fellers that's up here in the woods. They ain't meanin' to do any shootin', even if they have got Lem Scott along as a guide, and he the meanest skunk in the hull county, l

ree miles until they came to a bunch of seven birch trees on the right-hand bank. There they were to pick up a trail they would f

trailing along there some time tomorrow morning. I've always been crazy to see a fur farm

y the name of Roland Chase, a sickly looking chap in the bargain. It might possible to pick up a clue in this way; an

necessary to enter into some sort of explanation concerning the nature

Obed," he began, "but first of all I o

s watching the woods boy at the time he first mentioned Mrs. Hopewell, and spoke the name of Roland Chase; but if the other gave any unusual signs of interest, Max failed to catch the sa

erly lady, so deeply concerned over the welfare of her nephew Boland, that she was ready to spend almos

surd conditions of Uncle Jerry's ridiculous will; because she had enough of this world's goods for both, and she meant to leave it all to him, Roland; so she begg

e pathos in it. Obed sat there shading his eyes with his hand to keep the glow of the fire from dazzling him. Occasionally h

ame Roland Chase in the mountains. We heard about a fellow answering his description who was see

him straight

nks, I know he's said to be a tough un. I saw him some months back down at Sawyer's Forks, and by hokey! now that you mention it, thar

false colors; and if it turns out that Roland has taken up with such a disreputable character as this drunken guide

imeses all are 'customed to roughin' it. Granddad used to be away all by hisself for as much as two years, trappin' up in Canada. It's in the blood, I reckon. Now, yuh mean to drop in

d on his heel, and was gone, seeming to vanish in the shadows of the nearb

l that he should be the subject of conversation about

s givin to yarnin' just for the love of it. All that stuff about his relatives may have been true, and again only nonsense. It's my opinion there isn't any Grand

from ear to ear every time I h-h-happened to think of 'em. You're the greatest hand to s-s-suspect anybody I ever s-s-saw, Bandy-legs. Now, I want you to k-k

dy-legs, you must understand that nobody could talk so interestingly on a subject unless he

heard of them either, Max," grunted

lmost indignantly, "handles them with his own paws, and asks every little critter whether he really

talk did not con

nderful old farm, where he raises black foxes for the fur market. Stop and think how mysteriously he popped in on us, will you? Why, he as much as owned up that he had been spying on

Grimes, the woods boy. "He told us he had reason to fear some unscrupulous fellows were hanging around this region and meaning

hould anybody want to rob a poor boy who was trying to earn his living by

hat any thief would want to steal it. As to your doubting that there are any other people up in this section, you seem to forget, Bandy-legs, that around noon today we sighted a plain smoke some miles away, which we opined must have been made by some advance hunters, waitin

bout his ears, deemed it the part of discretion to shrug his shoulders after th

proof of the pudding is in the eating of it; and tomorrow we'll know what's what. But rememb

e told him, witheringly, "why, say, we'd have gone all to pieces long before

n the wrong," grumbled Bandy-legs; but, nevertheless, he "drew within his shell,"