u might have 'em."

"Do you know any red-haired lumberman--one that's a tramp?" Laddie asked.

"No, I can't say that I do. But tell your father, and also your Grandma
Bell, that I'll be on the watch for one. My name is Hurd--Simon Hurd. Your
grandma knows me. Tell her I'll be on the watch for a red-haired
lumberman. We have all sorts up here in Maine, and some of 'em have red
hair, though I don't know that any one will have your father's papers. Ha!
There's one I've got, anyhow!" the man suddenly exclaimed.

He dropped the oars, with which he had been slowly rowing the boat, and
caught up his pole. Then, as the boys watched, they saw him reel in his
line and lift from the water a big fish, which sparkled in the sun as it
leaped and twisted, trying to get off the hook.

"Hi, that's a big one!" cried Russ, leaping up and down on the sand, he
was so excited.

"Yes, he's as big as one of the two I lost," the man went on.

He landed his prize in the boat, while the boys and, the other little
Bunkers crowded to the end of the sandy point to watch what was going on.

"I guess you children brought me good luck," said Mr. Hurd, the red-haired
fisherman. "I'm going to row along now, but I'll keep my eyes open for the
tramp lumberman that may have your father's papers."

"Thank you," said Russ.

The six little Bunkers watched until the fisherman was out of sight around
the next point, and then they started to play again.

"I thought sure he was the one that daddy wanted," said Russ, a little
sadly.

"So did I," added Laddie. He, too, was disappointed. "Maybe I could make
up a riddle about a red-haired man," he added more cheerfully.

"Maybe you could," agreed Russ.

"I guess I will, too," said Laddie. "I can think of a riddle the next
time."

A little later the children heard a voice asking:

"Well, are you having a good time?"

They looked up to see Daddy and Mother Bunker walking toward them through
the woods.

"Oh, we're having lots of fun!" said Rose, who had been amusing Vi, Margy
and Mun Bun.

"And we almost found your lost papers," added Russ.

"How?" asked Mr. Bunker.

Then the boys told about the red-haired man.

"I'm afraid my papers are gone for ever," said Mr. Bunker with a shake of
his head, "I'll have to lose that money. But it might be worse. Don't
worry about it any more, children."

But, though the children were too little to worry very, much about their
father's trouble, Russ and Laddi