“Hello, Russ and Laddie!” he called, “I’ve got some news for you!”

“News?” asked Russ.

“Yes.  Do you remember when you took me for the red-haired lumberman that you thought had your father’s papers:  Remember that?”

“Yes,” answered Russ, “I do.  But you weren’t him.  I wish we could find him.”

“Maybe you can,” said Mr. Hurd, and Russ looked at him in a queer way.  What did Mr. Hurd mean?

CHAPTER XXII

OFF ON A TRIP

“Are you sure this tramp lumberman who took the old coat with your father’s papers in it, had red hair?” asked Mr. Hurd as Zip came to a stop near the carriage, and lay down in the shade, for, not being a big horse, the dog could do almost as he pleased when harnessed up.

“Yes, he had red hair,” said Russ.  “But he really didn’t mean to take the papers.  I heard my father say.  It was just a mistake.”

“Yes, I guess that was it,” agreed Mr. Hurd.  “Well, your father would like to get those papers back, wouldn’t he?”

“Indeed he would!” exclaimed Russ.  “He and mother were talking about ’em only last night.  Daddy would like to get ’em very much.”

“Well,” went on Mr. Hurd.  “I’ll tell you the news I spoke about.  Do you know where Mr. Barker’s place is?”

“Yes,” answered Russ.  Laddie let his brother do most of the talking this time.  “It’s over on the road to Green Pond, isn’t it?” and Russ, sitting in the dog-cart beside Laddie, pointed in the direction of the place he spoke of.  It was about three miles from where Grandma Bell lived.  Russ had heard his father, mother and grandmother speak of Mr. Barker’s place.  He was a man who owned many fields and woodlands.

“That’s right, Russ,” said Mr. Hurd.  “Mr. Barker’s place is over by Green Pond.  I see you know it all right.  Well, now I heard yesterday that there is a red-haired lumberman working for Mr. Barker, cutting down trees for him, and getting ready to build an ice-house on the shore of Green Pond.”

“Is he a tramp lumberman?” asked Russ.

“As to that I don’t know,” answered Mr. Hurd.  “That’s what your father will have to find out for himself.  But he can easily do that.  All he’ll have to do will be to go over to Mr. Barker’s place—­it isn’t far—­and ask for the red-haired lumberman.  Mr. Barker has a big place, and hires a good many men, but almost anybody would know a red-haired lumber-jack.  There aren’t so many of ’em in these parts.”

“And if he’s the tramp that got daddy’s old coat then he must have the papers,” said Russ.

“Well, yes, I suppose so.  Unless he’s lost ’em or sold ’em,” went on Mr. Hurd.  “Your father said those real estate papers were worth money, so maybe the tramp that found them in the pocket of the old coat sold them.”

Russ and Laddie looked sad on hearing this.  Suppose, after all, Daddy Bunker should not get his papers back?  That would be too bad!