though."

"Studying?" queried Tom.

"No, working" And Ralph stated briefly and frankly the nature of
his work.

"Like it?" again inquired Tom, who was always interested in people
and their occupations.

"I don't mind the work itself," said Ralph, "it's not half bad, you
know. But selling vegetables in the village market, and haggling
with stingy buyers over the price of cabbages and green peas, is
what gets my goat!" He laughed ruefully. "I guess I'll have to be
jogging on my homeward way," he added. "So long! Come over and
see me on the farm, if you're ever along that way. I'll show you
my traps and perhaps we can go out on a little hunt--er---that is,
if you-----"

"Thanks; we will," said Tom. "But we don't hunt animals to kill;
it's against scout rules in our troop."

"We hunt 'em with a camera," Arthur explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, so long."

The three lads shook hands.

"So long! Hope we'll meet again soon."

Ralph then took his leave of Denmead and Doctor Kane, and went on
his way, with a new idea buzzing in his mind: so they were going
to make a survey of that locality! He could invite them to
investigate his land, and---what if his father's hopes and
beliefs should prove to be founded on bed-rock? Bed-rock, rich
in ore? Could it be more than a dream? If they should discover
any iron, anything---they were nice fellows---he could trust them.
Very decent chaps to know, perhaps to have as friends. And they
didn't approve of trapping or shooting! Against scout rules, eh?
And was he---oh, well, it was fair play, and he needed whatever
extra money he could earn. Those eagles! Yes, he must not lose
any more time. The eagles would have to be the prize of his
marksmanship, even though he winged them against his will.

* * * * * * *

At the end of that week he told himself that he would have to get
the birds that day, or give up the hunt for them, and devote his
entire time to the gardens. He resolved to spend the whole day in
the neighborhood of Eagle Cliff, as he called it; for get them he
would, then or never, before going back to the presence of his
patient, pathetic, brave little mother.

Accordingly, about five o'clock in the morning, he led the faithful
Keno from his stall, and rode slowly down the dusty road until he
came to a point where the narrow bridlepath branched off the road
and wound upward into the silent woods. Following this path until
it became