n Tom returned from the skidway he smiled and shook his head in
answer to the question in Grace's eyes.

"Nothing further," he said briefly.

"You should have been an Indian," laughed Grace.

"Should have been? He is," averred Hippy.

Not a shred of canvas large enough to cover a mess plate was found in
the ruins of their camp, and, as soon as they had assembled and packed
what was left of their equipment, the party went on without tents. After
luncheon that day they turned off from the lumber trail and struck out
into the densely timbered land, Joe following her course by certain old
blazes on trees. Traveling there was much slower than it had been on the
open lumber trail, but the Overlanders made satisfactory time, and
covered nearly twenty miles before they halted to prepare their camp for
the night.

It lacked three hours of nightfall then, so Tom Gray decided to go over
to Section Forty-three and have his talk with the foreman of that lumber
camp. It was an hour-and-a-half later when he returned, flushed and
angry.

"Well?" questioned Grace.

"I learned that a dozen jacks came in from Bisbee's Corners last night,
but when I asked that they be lined up to see if I could identify any of
them as belonging to the mob that attacked us at Bisbee's, the foreman
threatened to set the whole outfit of jacks on me. He said he was not
running a detective bureau and that he didn't give a rap what his jacks
did so long as they got out timber."

"What's his name?" interrupted the guide.

"Tatem, he said."

"Feller with a wooden leg?" demanded Joe.

"Yes."

"That's Peg Tatem, the biggest ruffian of 'em all. He'd brain ye with a
peavey if you give him any back talk. I've always thought that Peg knew
the devils who killed my man. Oh, I hope the time comes when I get a
chance to set Henry on him. Henry'd make toothpicks of that peg-leg. I
promise ye that. His outfit ain't any better'n Peg himself."

"Who is the contractor?" asked Tom.

"It's the Dusenbery outfit. Dusenbery is always timber-lookin', peekin'
about the Pinies to find a cuttin' that he kin steal, and he's stole a
lot of it, Cap'n Gray. Ye lookin' for timber thieves?"

"That is a part of my job up here," answered Tom smilingly.

"Git Dusenbery and ye'll have the biggest stealer of these Big North
Woods, but have yer gun handy when ye git him or he'll git ye first."
With this parting admonition, Joe took a currycomb and brush from her
kit bag and bega