ght, from sad
experience. You see 'Rastus used to be something of a prizefighter in a
small way among his kind, and nothing delights him half so much as a
scrap once in a while; and the town rowdies have suffered at his hands."

"All right; say when, and I'll be ready to go."

"Plenty of time. I figure that the wagon won't get to the lumber camp
until noon, so in the meantime we can be using that nice ax Will has
strapped to his machine, and doing a number of things. Firewood is a
mighty handy article to have around a camp, boys, and it's simply
wonderful what a big lot of it is needed."

"A hint is as good as a command, Frank; just understand that we're ready
to do anything you suggest, for we all want to learn the ropes as soon as
we can. What are you going to do?" he asked, as Frank unsheathed a camp
hatchet, and commenced to look around, as if in search of some particular
kind of wood.

"Well, you see, I remember that I lost my tent pegs the last time I
camped in Maine, and it's up to me to cut a new supply. No better time
than now, while we're waiting for the wagon. Then I expect to lay out
several poles on which to stretch the tents--one tall one for the
center, and a couple of others outside for the fly that forms a
shelter," remarked Frank, commencing operations on what seemed a
suitable piece of hickory.

"What sort of tents are they?" asked Jerry, watching all that the other
did, so as to catch the true spirit of the thing from practical
observation, which somehow seemed vastly different from what he read in
his books on sport.

"The kind which most canoeists like in these modern days. They're big
enough to accommodate four in a pinch, although it's much better to have
only two in each, and that's why I brought both along. Then, when the fly
in front is raised it makes a splendid place for the table, being
sheltered from sun and rain. Each tent has a waterproof floorcloth, to
keep the dampness out. Wait and see, Jerry."

They worked like beavers for a time.

When one tired his muscles chopping firewood another was eager to take up
the job, and it was wonderful how the pile of fuel increased.

Frank rubbed his hands with pleasure when, an hour or more later, he came
over to take a look at it, having completed his own task, as the quantity
of tent pegs announced.

"That's fine, fellows" he declared, laughing. "If you'd ever gone through
what I did once, when lost in the Maine woods one bitter cold ni