At Whispering Pine Lodge

s pet hobby, that of raising valuable fur-bearing animals for the market,

s "Grimeses" were following the humble occupation of guides amidst the extensive stretches of the Adirondacks, and possibly many of th

s took such a main grip on his imagination, he brought out a batch of clippings

farming. This was away up on Prince Edward Island beyond Nova Scotia, said to be the place best situated geographically for the purpose, as these animals require a

ilege of copying the same for future reference, because he knew that statements he might make later on would be skeptically received by m

to understand what enterprising Obed Grimes was trying to do on a small scale, I am tempted to

away up near Calgary, in the Canadian Province of Alberta, and are said to be doing excellently, one

part of the clippin

seventy pairs of silver black foxes, and his ranch is split up into small inclosures of that size, covered with wire on four sides, the wire being buried four feet under

g are born, we take the fox pups away from the mother fox, and the kittens away from the mother cat, and ma

der cover, because of its great possibilities for making big money. With the last four or five

ching $1,500. Silver black fox is the rarest fur utilized by man. The Russian sable, otter, and South Sea seal are practically eliminated for commercial p

fur sold. The rest went for breeding purposes, because fur farms are starting up in many favorable places. Th

been made wealthy. They were poor people ten years ago. Today they live in town houses, own their own automobiles,

ngs that a pair of gilt-edged silver black foxes were worth all the way up to $30,000, was, of course, doubly curious to

. Obed understood just what must be passing in the mind of th

gest surprise I ever had. He fetched a crate along up from town in a wagon he hired; and say, inside the same was the finest pair o' silver blacks I ever saw. Then some more wagons begun to show up fetchin' rolls of wire netting, and bags o' cement to make concrete with. Mr. Coombs h

the same. Since then I've fixed three more enclosures, ready for an increase o' stock. Mr. Coombs, he called this

and yet so far as he could make out Obed seemed in dead earnest. Besides, he had the documents

racity of the narrator; they were simply amazed at the immensity of the enterprise that had sprung up almost like a mushroom, over night. Millions on millions of dollars invested in

ing as he spoke, "s'pose yuh meander out and take a look at my humble beginnin'. I surely hope yuh won't run down my effo

ed?" asked Max, following

pup so far," came the reply over Obed's shoulder; and he might be pardoned for putting just a mite of

ly, as though he voiced a suspicion that kept cropping up in hi

hed good-

o need the money that's comin' to me for my share. A fellow has got to live up here in the mountains, and grub costs a wheen o' hard cash, 'specially when yuh got a good appetite,

, for even the most timid of wild animals in the process of time comes to recognize the one who supplies their wants along the line of daily food. But possibly Bandy-legs or Steve chanced to la

se would be doomed to certain disaster. The smart woods boy might be successful in raising a crop of valuable youngsters in the fox line; but sooner or later some unscrupulous men, guides out of a job perhaps, and

ing so much money to be tied up in this property without proper safeguards. If it was intended to continue the fox farm now that it gave all evidences of poss

ly increasing in size and value. They were also timid, though in due time Obed managed to get them to show

t I'm aiming to do that also pretty soon. Yep, and after this set o' pups has been sold, if they fetch all I count on, I'm goin' to have a talk with the lawyer that looks after Mr. Coo

Besides, some unscrupulous men might raid your enclosures while you were off hunting, or fishing, and break up your business. It isn't sa

y gleam usually nestling there. Yes, plainly Obed was worried over something; and Max believed he had put h

a reliable man as you

s, Jerry has done a heap o' things for me from time to time, 'cause yuh see I couldn't work it all. He lives 'bout 'leven miles off that ways. We've fixed a way to signal to each other by flyin' a little white

more valuable information, for Obed was apparently well posted

ht take up a companion industry, being nothing more no

ow about it. Oh! I've got a heap o' ways for gettin' the ready cash to keep up my share o' the expenses o' the farm here. I've found two bee trees, and sent the honey to market too. Got nigh twenty dollars for the honey. Then

chap was this same Obed, to be able to wrest a living from a bounteous Na

ound 'em, too, some thousands of dollars' worth, of them; and when the news leaked out, whee! the farmers, all around, had a tough time getting their harvests home, because every hand was treading for mussels in the creeks and small rivers for thirty miles around Carson. Why, I bet you it'd

hunted his big greenback frogs when he

lained; "and let me tell yuh it doesn't take a great many o' them to weigh that much. I've got some gra

e. "I've shot many a one with a small Flobert rifle; or else caught them with a pi

r, "though I have shot a few o' the big uns that way, 'cause they was too tricky to be grabbed with

ect; for those who are fond of the dish say that frogs' legs are more delicate than the best

the cabin. Max could not but notice that Obed showed signs of uneasiness while away, and cast frequent gl

in the rear of the other three, who were chatting, and arguing about certain m

r o' grown pups, and get the money I need so bad, why, things look kinder different. Fact is, Max," he went on, allowing his voice to sink into a mysterious stage whisper, "somebody was looki