"I'm sure he would," said Bert. "I hope he comes."

Then the Bobbseys and others looked at the camp some more, Bert being very
much interested in a small canoe, which, he said, would be just right for
him and Tommy Todd to paddle.

"Wouldn't you let me paddle with you?" asked Nan. "I know how--a little."

"Sure I'll let you," agreed her brother. "Oh, I do hope Dad will let us go
camping!"

Mr. Bobbsey came in a little later, and he liked the store camp very much.
He said he and his wife had talked of going to a camp in the Summer, and
taking the children with them, but it was not all settled as yet.

"There's no better fun than camping out," said Mr. Whipple. "I used to do
it when I was a boy, and I made up my mind that if ever I kept a store,
which I always wanted to do, I'd sell camping things in it. And that's
just what I'm doing," he added with a laugh.

"Doesn't this place make you think of our woods at home?" asked Nan of
Bert.

"Yes, it does look like the woods around Lake Metoka," was his answer.

"And it's just like the place where Uncle Jack has his camp!" cried
Freddie.

"Have the children an uncle who is a camper?" asked Mr. Whipple.

"No," answered Mr. Bobbsey, "but there is an old woodchopper, who lives in
a log cabin near our town of Lakeport. He makes a living by chopping
firewood. He lives all alone, and really sort of camps out. Every one
calls him Uncle Jack. He was very good to Flossie and Freddie one day when
they fell out of Bert's ice-boat.

"Poor Uncle Jack!" went on Mr. Bobbsey, with a sigh. "I am sorry to say I
have bad news about him," he went on to his wife, but the children heard,
though he spoke in a low voice.

"Uncle Jack!" cried Nan. "I hope he isn't dead!"

"No," answered her father, "but he is very ill, and he must go to a
hospital, I am told. It's too bad about him."

CHAPTER XVI

THE BIG ELEPHANT

"What's the matter with Uncle Jack?" asked Mrs. Bobbsey, "and how did you
hear about him, Richard?" she asked her husband.

"I had a letter from my bookkeeper," was the answer. "Before we came away
I left word that the poor old man must be looked after, and I arranged to
have news of him sent on to me. To-day I got a letter which says he is
much worse than he has been, and really needs to go to a hospital. I think
I shall have to raise the money to send him."

"Who is he?" asked Mr. Whipple. "I am interested. Who is this Uncle Jack?"

"He's just the nicest m