and one of their frying pans was a man,
cooking a meal over their camp fire.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE GUM HUNTER.

"That chap seems to be making himself right at home in our camp, doesn't
he, Garry," remarked Phil.

"So he does, but that is the way of many of the old timers in the woods.
They consider it all right to make use of anyone's camp so long as they
take nothing and do no harm, and leave some sign that they have been
there, provided the owners do not return before he leaves. He's a
picturesque-looking old fellow, isn't he? Looks something like our old
Hermit friend. Let's go and see who he is," concluded Garry.

They made their way to the lean-to, for they had stopped when they saw
the new occupant of the camp.

"Howdy, stranger," hailed Garry.

"Howdy, boys," he returned. "This your camp here?"

"Yes, we just threw it up yesterday. Are you from round these parts?"
asked Garry.

"Callate that's just what I am. Name's Dudley, George Washington Dudley,
generally called 'Dud' for short by my friends."

Garry then proceeded to tell his name and those of his companions. The
old man left off his cooking long enough to shake hands, and then
resumed his turning of the bacon.

"Got hungry and didn't want to start a new fire somewhere, and so used
your place here. Wasn't expecting to be gone so long today, and didn't
bring anything with me. Just helped myself. Will make it all right next
time I come this way. What you boys doing up here? 'Spose you're from
the city, but you don't look as though you were exact strangers to the
woods. Sensible looking clothes you've got on, too."

"We're figuring on camping here for a time, and looking the country
over. What's your business?" asked Garry, with the true Yankee
inquisitiveness.

"Oh, I do several things. Just now I'm a gum hunter."

"A what?" chimed in Phil.

"Gum hunter," responded the old man briefly, as though that settled the
question.

"I am afraid we don't know just what a gum hunter is," confessed Garry,
speaking for his chums as well as himself.

"No, I 'spose you don't. Can't expect city boys to know a great deal
anyway. Well, a gum hunter is just what it sounds like. I go through the
woods getting spruce gum for the drug stores. Make a good living that
way part of a year. Get a lot of druggists all way from Portland to
Boston who won't buy spruce gum from anyone but me. They know I send 'em
only the best. Understand what a gum hunter is n