s a pretty frequent change of
scene, and I'm afraid we've stayed here too long already. One of those
mill fellows said only yesterday that we must have collected a powerful
lot of stuff by this time, and asked if we weren't about ready to
invite him up to inspect and bid on it. I told him we were thinking of
putting it into a raft and taking it down-river. Never had such an
idea, you know, but the notion just popped into my head, and I'm not
sure now but what it's as good a one as we'll strike. What do you
think?"

"It'll take a heap of hard work, and more time than I for one want to
spare, to build a raft large enough for our purpose," answered
Grimshaw. "Still, I don't know as the idea is wholly bad."

"It would take time, that's a fact," answered Mr. Gilder, lifting his
tray of tools to the table and proceeding to polish some of them with a
bit of buckskin. "And it looks as though time was going to be an
object with us shortly. That last letter from Wiley showed that the
Chicago folks were beginning to sniff pretty suspiciously in this
direction. I've been asked some awkward questions lately, too. Yes,
the more I think of it, the more I am convinced that we ought to be
getting out of here as quickly as we can make arrangements. We must
talk it over with Plater, and come to some decision this very day.
He's-- Hello! Something's up. Plater was to stay in camp till I got
back."

Again came the peculiar, long-drawn whistle that had arrested the
attention of the men, and which denoted the approach of a friend. Mr.
Gilder stepped to the door and answered it. Then he looked expectantly
towards a laurel thicket that formed part of the dense undergrowth
surrounding the hut. In a moment the dripping branches were parted
near the ground, and a man, emerging from the bushes on his hands and
knees, stood up, shook himself like a Newfoundland dog, and advanced
towards the open door. He was a large man with long hair and a bushy
beard. He was clad in flannel, jeans, and cowhide boots, and was
evidently of a different class from Mr. Gilder, who appeared to be a
gentleman, and was dressed as one. "What's up, Plater?" asked the
latter.

"Big raft, three shanties on it, in false channel, saddle-bagged on the
reef pretty nigh abreast of camp. Can't see nobody aboard. Reckon she
broke adrift from somewheres while her crew was off on a frolic."

"You don't say so!" cried Mr. Gilder, excitedly. "Perhaps it's the