t to tell you boys there is no yellow in his system. He has cool, true
nerve, like my old friend, that never thought of himself if there was
trouble, always of the other folks that might suffer. That's the reason
he slid off this mortal globe so soon. The lad here came near doing the
same thing. Then he never told you about it. Well, well."

"I'll see you again," called the stranger as Willis passed out into the
night.

CHAPTER V

A Plan Is Evolved

"Well, by the Great Horn Spoon, you are the laziest bunch of fellows I've
seen in many a long day. What's all this scheming and planning about
that's going on here? Are one of you fellows trying to get a Presidential
nomination?" Ham seated himself on a chair facing the fellows. They were
lounging on a big window-seat in a corner of the game-room, talking
earnestly in low tones.

"Come, now, let's hear about it. What's the game? Say, fellows, I just
heard a rattling good story." "Well, now, Ham, let up on your stories for
about two shakes and give us your attention. We have an idea, a real,
first-class scheme, if you please, and we want you to give us your expert
opinion on it," said Shorty Wier, as he went and closed the door.

"All aboard; let her go! What do you want me to do? When are you going to
do it? Hurry, I'm getting awfully excited."

"Well," continued Shorty, "Fat originated this idea, or at least he
suggested it, and we have just been talking it over. How fine it would be
if we owned a cabin, a good-sized log cabin, big enough to take care of
at least twenty fellows over night. A place far enough from the city to
keep it from being continually broken into by rowdies, and still within a
couple of hours' walking distance from the car-line. With all of this
great string of mountains and canyons, so well-forested and filled with
streams, it ought to be an easy matter to find some such a place. Of
course it would be ideal if we could find a cabin already built; then all
we would have to do would be to rig it up. But we are game sports, every
man of us, and if we can't find any such cabin built, let's locate an
ideal spot and build one. Nothing real fancy or expensive, but just a
typical mountain house that's weather-tight and warm. Of course we'd want
a big fireplace like the one at Bruin Inn. It would be a great big job,
but we could take our time to it. We'd have all winter, and more, if we
needed it. Now, what we want is your suggestion, understand;