e rub," Miss Briggs confided to Grace.

"We're deputy sheriffs," announced one.

"Charmed, I'm sure," greeted Hippy, bowing with much dignity. "Making
early calls seems to be the way of the Big Woods. What do you want? Let
me see. So far to-day we have had two wardens and two deputy sheriffs.
Speak your piece, but remember that you are covered. It's just as well
while talking to me to keep your muzzles pointed towards the ground."

"Are ye the fellows that burned up part of Section Forty-three?" asked
the deputy.

"No. The fire did that. We are the fellows that put out the fire, or
there would be nothing left of a good part of that section except
blackened stumps and dead tree toads."

"Seeing as ye admit it, that's all right."

Hippy nodded. Grace and Elfreda had stepped up, just to the rear of
Hippy, that they might miss nothing of what was being said. The second
deputy kept a watchful eye on them, presumably to see that they played
no tricks on his companion.

"The owner of that section, Hi Dusenbery, reckons as ye've got to pay
fer the loss of the timber ye burned, and I'm here, fer one thing, to
serve the papers on ye in the suit. Do ye accept service?"

Hippy reached for the papers that the deputy held out, and, without
looking at them, tore them and dropped the fragments on the ground.

"You shouldn't have done that," rebuked Miss Briggs. "Grace, help me
gather up the pieces. The idea!"

"Anything else?" demanded Lieutenant Wingate. "I have had about enough
of this nonsense."

"I reckon there is something else. Ye're charged with bein' dangerous
characters. Information has been laid against ye by one William Tatem,
otherwise known as Peg Tatem, accusin' some person unknown, but
belongin' to this party, of shootin' him through the leg."

"It was a wooden leg, and the shots were not fired by any person or
persons in this party. We do not know who fired them," interrupted
Hippy.

The deputy sheriffs grinned.

"Ye are further charged with causin' certain wild animals, to wit, a
bear and a big ugly dog, to attack Peg Tatem and his men and do 'em
injury, to wit, bites and scratches, not to speak of a bad scare."

"Well? There must be something more," urged Hippy. "What do you want me
to do?"

"Peg opined that if ye would settle with him for the damages to his leg,
and pay him for the scare ye give him, and settle with his jacks for
what ye did to them, he might be willin' to let ye off."

Grace sa