His eyes glowed at the very thought, and Max was more than glad he and his comrades had the chance to render so resolute a chap slight assistance.  For it would really be a pleasure for them to stay there at that wonderful little lodge under the whispering pines, and keep house while Obed was away.  Then, too, Jerry would be on hand, ready with his advice and knowledge, so as to do the proper thing.  As to any rash prowler stealing the valuable foxes, day or night, well, they would see to it a constant watch was kept, and that the gun was always ready to block any nasty little game like that.

Later on, Max amused himself lolling in Mr. Coombs’ big fireside chair, which he had moved near one of the windows.  He had run across a number of books on a shelf, and was engaged in looking them over, though hardly bothering to actually read.  Nevertheless, he seemed to be quite curious concerning them, and when Obed chanced to come in, Max naturally asked concerning the volumes.

“Oh! yuh see, some o’ them belong to me,” the woods boy remarked, without hesitation, “and t’others they were left here by Mr. Coombs.  He was a great reader; and besides, he’d traveled all over the known world.  Yuh remember I said he was a sea captain, and that he made his fortune carryin’ cargoes from the Far East to England and America.  Sometime I’ll tell yuh a few of the queer adventures he had in foreign countries.  They’ve got lots o’ thrills about ’em, too.”

“Just so,” ventured Max, casually, “and I once heard some people talking about a Mr. Coombs who had been a great traveler.  Now I wonder if it could have been the same party.  Was his first name Robert?”

“Oh! no, my Mr. Coombs’ name was Jared,” replied the other, promptly.

“Then, of course, it could not have been the same,” added Max, smiling as though he had attained the object of his questioning; “but the similarity in names, and the fact that both men had traveled considerably, made me think it might, be so.”

He once more dipped into the book he was holding, although watching Obed slily over the top of the volume.  And when the woods boy had passed outside again, Max Hastings might have been seen to hurriedly turn back to the blank pages at the front of the book, scan several initials that were plainly written there, and then nod his head mysteriously, with a smile that gradually crept across his whole face; just as though something pleased him, which, for the time being, he chose to keep to himself.

CHAPTER IX

LAYING PLANS TO HELP OBED

It was only natural that Steve, always headstrong and impulsive, should be eager to find out what kind of plan might be arranged looking to keeping watch and ward over the fur farm during the nights to come.  He had been impressed with the signs of anxiety which Obed plainly betrayed, when speaking of his belief concerning some sort of plot being hatched up against his peace of mind, and which would bring about the ultimate ruination of his unique and intensely interesting undertaking.