“We came to see about that ragged coat,” explained Daddy Bunker.  “I guess my two boys told you why I wanted it.  I remember you now.  You are the man my clerk gave the coat to, back in Pineville, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and I want to thank you.  That coat seemed to bring me good luck.  I got work right after you gave it to me, and I’ve been working ever since, though I did tramp a lot.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you had good luck,” said Daddy Bunker.  “But I’m sorry you didn’t find the real estate papers I left in the coat pocket.  They must have been in when my clerk let you have it, but perhaps they dropped out.”

“I guess they must have,” said the lumberman.  “I never saw any of them, and I wore the coat right after you gave it to me.  I’ll get it and let you see for yourself.”

He set down his axe outside the log cabin and went in.  Pretty soon he came out again with, the ragged coat—­the same one he had showed to Laddie and Russ.

“Here it is,” said the red-haired tramp lumberman, as he handed the garment to Mr. Bunker, “It’s just as I got it from you.  I don’t wear it much now, as I have another.  But you’ll find no papers in the pockets.”

“Yes, that’s the old coat I used to wear around the office,” said Mr. Bunker, as he took it from.  Mr. Gannon.  “And I’m sure I put those papers in the inside pocket, and then I forgot all about them.”

As he spoke he reached his hand down in the pocket of the old coat.  The pocket must have been pretty deep, for Daddy Bunker’s hand went away down.  Then a funny look came over the face of the father of the six little Bunkers.

He pulled out his thumb, and his whole hand, and, instead of pulling out a plum, as Little Jack Horner did, Mr. Bunker pulled out—­the missing papers!

“Look what I found!” he cried.  “Hurray!  The very papers I want!”

“Were they in the coat?” asked the red-haired lumberman in amazement.

“They were,” said Daddy Bunker.  “Away down inside the lining.  They slipped through a hole in the pocket.  And there they have been all this while—­in the lining of the old coat.”

“And I never knew it,” said Mr. Gannon.  “Are you sure they are the papers you want?”

“The very ones,” answered Mr. Bunker, glancing at them.  “And they are worth a lot of money, too.  I am very glad I found them.”

“So am I,” said the lumberman.  “I would hate to think I lost the papers out of the old coat, even though I didn’t know they were in the lining.  Well, I’m glad you have them back.”

“Oh, but this is good luck!” said Grandma Bell.

“And Russ and Laddie brought it to us, for they found out where the coat was,” said Mother Bunker.

“But we wouldn’t have known if Mr. Hurd hadn’t told us,” said Russ.

“And maybe we wouldn’t have come, only Zip chased the rabbit,” added Laddie.

“Well, it was good luck all around, and I have my papers back,” said Daddy Bunker.  “And now we’ll go on with the picnic.”