obnails; they laced with belt laces through
forty-four calibre eyelets, and were strapped about the top with a broad
piece of leather and two glittering buckles. Furthermore, his trousers
were of khaki, his shirt of navy blue, his belt three inches broad, his
neckerchief of red, and his hat both wide and high.

In response to enthusiastic greetings, he struck a pose.

"How do you like it?" he inquired. "Isn't this the candy make-up for the
simple life--surveyor, hardy prospector, mountain climber, sturdy
pedestrian? Ain't I the real young cover design for the Out-of-door
number?"

He accepted their congratulations with a lofty wave.

"That's all right," said he; "but somebody take away this horse before I
bite him. I'm sore on that horse. Joke! Snicker!"

Bob delivered over the animal to the stableman who was approaching.

"Come up to see the tall buildings?" he quoted Baker himself.

"Not so," denied that young man. "My errand is philanthropic. I'm robin
redbreast. Leaves for yours."

"Pass that again," urged Bob; "I didn't get it."

"I hear you people have locked horns with Henry Plant," said Baker.

"Well, Plant's a little on the peck," amended Welton.

"Leaves for yours," repeated the self-constituted robin redbreast.
"Babes in the Woods!"

Beyond this he would vouchsafe nothing until after supper when, cigars
lighted, the three of them sprawled before the fireplace in quarters.

"Now," he began, "you fellows are up against it good and plenty. You
can't wish your lumber out, and that's the only feasible method unless
you get a permit. Why in blazes did you make this break, anyway?"

"What break?" asked Welton.

Baker looked at him and smiled slowly.

"You don't think I own a telephone line without knowing what little
birdies light on the wires, do you?"

"Does that damn operator leak?" inquired Welton placidly but with a
narrowing of the eyes.

"Not on your saccharine existence. If he did, he'd be out among the
scenery in two jumps. But I'm different. That's my _business_."

"Mighty poor business," put in Bob quietly.

Baker turned full toward him.

"Think so? You'll never get any cigars in the guessing contest unless
you can scare up better ones than that. Let's get back to cases. How did
you happen to make this break, anyway?"

"Why," explained Welton, "it was simply a case of build a road and a
flume down a worthless mountain-side. Back with us a man builds his road
where he needs it, a