as to the whereabouts of the logs, the answering of which
had brought the big millman's anger upon the half-witted lad.
Accordingly, Ben looked frightened, and refused to answer, but when he
saw his foe still lying stretched out on the ground he said:

"Logs, near, near. Under pile of slabs."

"Oh, that was the way he hid them," said the Forest Chief; "clever
enough trick, too."

McGinnis and Merritt followed Ben, and a couple of the men around
sauntered along also. Wilbur stayed with the horses, watching the
mill-hands trying to bring Peavey Jo to consciousness. They had just
roused him and got him to his feet when the government party returned.

"I've seen your logs," said the Supervisor with just a slight note of
triumph in his voice, "and I've plenty of witnesses. I also know who
you're working for, so it will do no good to skip out. I'll nail both of
you. Four and a half million feet, remember."

Suddenly McGinnis startled every one by a sudden shout:

"Drop that ax!" he cried.

The lumberman, who was just about to get into the saddle, suddenly
dropped from the stirrup and made a quick grab for Ben, who had been
standing near by. The half-witted lad had picked up an ax, and was
quietly sidling up in the direction of the lumberman, who was still too
dazed from the blow he had received from McGinnis to be on the watch.

"What would ye do with the ax, ye little villain?" asked McGinnis.

"I kill him, once, twice," said the lad.

"Ye would, eh? Sure, I've always labored under the impression that
killin' a man once is enough. 'Tis myself that can see the satisfaction
it would be to whack him one with the ax, Ben, but ye'd be robbing the
hangman."

"I kill him," repeated the half-witted lad.

"Not with that ax, anyway," said McGinnis wrenching it from his grasp
and tossing it to one of the men who stood by. "I'm thinkin', Merritt,
that we'd better take the boy away. When he's sot, there's no changin'
him."

"You fellers had best take one o' my ponies," spoke up one of the
sawyers; "I've got a string here, an' you can send him back any time.
An' I guess it wouldn't be healthy here for Ben right now."

"All right, Phil," said McGinnis; "I'll go along with you and get him."

As soon as McGinnis was out of the way, Peavey Jo stepped up to where
the Supervisor was sitting in the saddle. Ben had been standing beside
him since McGinnis took the ax, but now he shrank back to Wilbur's side.

"You t'ink me beat