an!" cried Flossie. "He took us in when Freddie
upset the ice-boat, and----"

"I didn't upset the ice-boat--it upset _itself!_" Freddie cried.

"Easy now, children! Don't dispute," said Mrs. Bobbsey gently.

"Uncle Jack is quite a character around Lakeport," went on Mr. Bobbsey. "I
don't know all his story, but he has lived in the woods for a number of
years. Where he was before that I don't know."

"He don't know hardly anything about his folks, Daddy!" piped up Freddie.

"How do you know?" asked Mr. Bobbsey.

"He told us so," put in Flossie. "It was that day he took us in his house,
after we got spilled from the ice-boat."

"Well, perhaps that is right," said Mr. Bobbsey, when the two small twins
had told what Uncle Jack had related to them. "They really know more about
him than I do. All I know is that he is a good, faithful old man. He sells
us wood and many of my friends buy of him. We help him all we can.

"I suppose he must have had _some_ folks once upon a time, but, as he
says, he has lost track of them. The bad news I have about him is that he
needs to go to the hospital. I think he will not get well if he does not
have a good doctor. He was so good to my children that I want to help
him, and I am going to tell my bookkeeper to arrange for sending Uncle
Jack where he can be taken care of. I'll pay the bill. He wouldn't take
the money from me, but he won't know about this."

"Just a minute," said Mr. Whipple, as he led the way down to the
restaurant in his store. "You say this old man lives in the woods?"

"Yes, he is a regular woodsman. He was a hunter and trapper once, I
believe, though he has spent most of his life working for farmers. He
loves now to live by himself in a sort of camp."

"I love camping myself," said Mr. Whipple, "and that is why I am so
interested in selling things for campers. I love anybody who loves the
woods, and, while I do not know this Uncle Jack, I'd like to help look
after him."

"I shall be very glad to have you join me," said Mr. Bobbsey; and the
twins, listening to this talk, though they did not understand all of it,
knew that their old woodsman friend was going to be cured if it were found
to be possible.

"We'll join each other in looking after him," went on Mr. Whipple. "You
must let me pay half." And to this the children's father agreed. He said
he would write back at once to his office, and tell some one there to look
after the old woodchopper.

"Is there an