shown the scouts a splendid place to get rocks for
the fireplace, and told them how to make, with two poles and some
cross saplings, a sort of litter for carrying the larger ones; he had
made the rounds of the wood-choppers and watched them interestedly,
criticizing, suggesting, and even cracking a dry joke or two at their
expense. But his interest seemed to center in the building operations,
to which he finally returned. When Mr. Curtis followed him a little
later, he paused at the edge of the glade, a quiet smile curving his lips.

The old man stood amid a group of boys who were notching the logs. He
had evidently been showing them some improvement on their methods, for as
the scoutmaster stood there, he heard one of them say: "Is that right,
Mr. Grimstone? Is that the way you mean?"

The old man nodded. "You've got it, son; you'll find that'll save you
a lot of time."

"Say, Mr. Grimstone," piped up Harry Vedder, from the other side of the
cabin, "won't you come over here, please?"

"You wait a minute, Dumpling!" admonished Bob Gibson. "I'm next. He
promised to give me some points about fitting 'em together."

The scoutmaster's smile deepened as he came forward. "I guess I'll have
to appoint you building foreman, Mr. Grimstone," he said. "Looks as if
you knew a lot more about log-cabins than I ever will."

From force of habit the other frowned, but his eyes were twinkling. "I'd
orter, I reckon," he returned. "I built enough of 'em when I was loggin'
up state. If it wan't for this pesky arm--"

"That needn't interfere. You won't have to lift a finger. The boys are
only too ready to work when they know how. Seriously, if you could
oversee the building part, it would help us a lot. Then I could give
all my time to getting out the logs, cleaning up, and looking after the
chimney."

"I s'pose I can," observed the old man, briefly. "I ain't fit for much
else jest now--an' the sooner you're done, the sooner the mess'll be
cleared up."

So it was arranged, and the following Saturday found Mr. Grimstone
promptly on the job. There was no question of his pleasure in the work,
in spite of the occasional grumblings to which he gave vent in odd
moments when he was not entirely lost in the novel occupation. To these
the boys paid scant attention. They seemed to realize that they were
merely superficial and really meant nothing, and from the first they got
on admirably with the old man. They even joshed and joked with him,