histled disgustedly and Norah
laughed.

"No good to be jealous of Billy's luck," she said. "He can always get
fish, when nobody else can find even a nibble. Mrs. Brown says he's got
the light hand like hers for pastry."

The Hermit laughed.

"I like Mrs. Brown's simile," he said. "If that was her pastry in those
turnovers at lunch, Miss Norah, I certainly agree that she has 'the
light hand.'"

"Mrs. Brown's like the cook in _The Ingoldsby Legends_, Dad says," Norah
remarked.

"What," said the Hermit--

"For soups and stews, and French regouts, Nell Cook is famous still--?"
finished Norah delightedly. "However did you know, Mr. Hermit?"

The Hermit laughed, but a shade crossed his brow. "I used to read the
_Legends_ with a dear old friend many years before you were born, Miss
Norah," he said gravely. "I often wonder whether he still reads them."

"Ready?" Jim interrupted, springing up the bank. "Billy understands
about feeding the ponies. Don't forget, mind, Billy."

"Plenty!" quoth Billy, and the party went on its way. The Hermit led
them rapidly over logs and fallen trees, up and down gullies, and
through tangles of thickly growing scrub. Once or twice it occurred to
Jim that they were trusting very confidingly to this man, of whom they
knew absolutely nothing; and a faint shade of uneasiness crossed his
mind. He felt responsible, as the eldest of the youngsters, knowing that
his father had placed him in charge, and that he was expected to
exercise a certain amount of caution. Still it was hard to fancy
anything wrong, looking at the Hermit's serene face, and the trusting
way in which Norah's brown little hand was placed in his strong grasp.
The other boys were quite unconscious of any uncomfortable ideas, and
Jim finally dismissed his fears as uncalled for.

"I thought," said the Hermit, suddenly turning, "of taking you to see my
camp as we went, but on second thoughts I decided that it would be
better to get straight to work, as you young people want some fish, I
suppose, to take home. Perhaps we can look in at my camp as we come
back. It's not far from here."

"Which way do you generally go to the river?" Norah asked.

"Why, anyway," the Hermit answered. "Generally in this direction. Why do
you ask, Miss Norah?"

"I was wondering," Norah said. "We haven't crossed or met a single
track."

The Hermit laughed.

"No," he said, "I take very good care not to leave tracks if I can avoid
it. You see, I'