see us if it can possibly be
avoided."

"We'll watch out," answered Shep.

A minute later half a dozen fat rabbits crossed their path directly
in front of them. The temptation to bring the game down was strong,
but they resisted, not wishing to make any noise. A little later
they heard two gunshots at a distance.

"Some of the men must be out hunting," observed Giant.

"Gracious! I hope they don't mistake us for game," cried Whopper.

"Let us walk more in the open," answered Snap. "Then they can't
make any mistake."

The way was rocky and uneven, and long before they came in sight
of their first camp the boys were somewhat footsore and weary.

"This isn't the nicest kind of tramping in the world, is it?"
came from Shep.

"Don't say a word," answered Giant. "I just came within an inch
of twisting my left ankle."

They had a small brook to cross and there stopped for a drink
of water. They were just going on again when another distant
gunshot sounded out.

"They must be doing a lot of hunting to-day," observed Snap. "I'd
like to know if they can bring anything down."

"Not if what that old guide said was true," answered Shep.

They advanced a few yards further, when Shep suddenly halted and
made his chums do the same.

"What's up now?" whispered Whopper. "See a bear?"

"Whopper has bears on the brain," came from Giant, with a grin.

"I see two men over back of yonder rocks," answered Snap. "They
seem to be doing some hard talking."

"Who are they?"

"One of them is Andrew Felps."

"And the other?"

"I don't know who he is."

"He is the man we are after!" cried Whopper "Don't you see his
red hair and red moustache?"

"Let us go around the rocks and get closer in that way," said
Snap, and his suggestion was followed out promptly.

"Well, what do you want of me, anyway, Barrock?" they heard Andrew
Felps say to the man with the red hair.

"I want to talk business," answered Lush Barrock, as he was commonly
called.

"Well, get to business, then," went on the lumber merchant. "I
am not going to stay here all day. You said you had something
to say that would interest me."

"It's true, too, Mr. Felps."

"Well, out with it, then."

Lush Barrock paused and cleared his throat. Evidently he did
not know exactly how to go about what he had in mind to do.

"I reckon you know the Barnaby lumber folks," he began.

"Yes," was the short answer.

"They have been trying to get hold of a