in that vicinity,
we can without a great deal of trouble build a pole cabin."

Late afternoon brought them to the town of Hobart, and cramped and weary
from their thirty-six hour ride on the train, they gladly disembarked.

The little town of Hobart lay on the other side of the railroad tracks.
It was like so many other small Maine towns, consisting of a huge
general store, a smithy, which was also a garage, a great ramshackle
building that was once a restaurant and a rooming house, evidently used
by trappers who came there to dispose of their furs, and lumberjacks on
their way to lumber operations in that vicinity. The boys proceeded
directly to the general store, and here made inquiries as to the owner
of the vast timber lands that entirely surrounded Hobart.

The shrewd old Yankee storekeeper told them that all the timber land in
that section was controlled by one of the great paper and pulp companies
of the State, and that campers never bothered to get permission to use
the land.

Further inquiry brought out the information that the national boundary
line was only about three miles from Hobart.

The boys decided to hike directly into the woods, build for themselves a
fire, and sleep in the open, reserving the next morning to find a
suitable camping place where they might erect their lean-to. They
provided themselves with a week's supply of provisions, finding that
they could come into town often enough to replenish their supplies as
they ran out.

"Now," remarked Garry, after their provisions had been purchased, "we
can do one of two things, either strike directly into the woods and
cook our supper over a camp fire, or we can go over to the restaurant
and have our meal there, which appeals most to me."

"I would suggest," said Phil, "that we eat tonight at the restaurant,
not that I am too lazy to cook in the woods, but because it is probable
that a good share of the people who live in this town, but who do not
have real homes here, also eat there. In this way, we can become
familiar at least with faces of those who inhabit the place, and who
knows but what it may be the headquarters of the very crew that we are
seeking."

"I think that's a prime suggestion," said Garry heartily, "so I move we
leave our rifles and knapsacks here at the general store, and get our
supper."

Before leaving they inquired from the storekeeper what would be the best
route to take to bring them into the woods. They were told tha