"My boy!" panted Mr. Page, seizing Dick by the shoulders. "You
have found him? We received your note this morning, and have
been breaking the speed laws ever since in our effort to get here.
My boy! You know where he is! Perhaps he is now one of your
own party? You have told him, and have kept him here against
my coming?"

"No, sir; he's not here just now," Dick answered, shaking his
head. "But come into the tent, sir. There is a lot to tell you."

"I can hardly contain myself to wait for the news!" cried the
eager father tremulously.

Nevertheless, silence was preserved until the tent had been entered.
Mr. Page, Hibbert and Colquitt were given seats on camp stools,
some of the boys finding seats on empty boxes.

"Now, my boy---my son! Tell me all about him," pleaded Mr. Page.
"Is he well? Does he know that I am looking for him?"

"I have hinted to him," Prescott answered, "that he is not the
son of the man whom he has grown up to regard as his father.
I have told him that you were looking for him, and-----"

"Oh, my boy!" cried Mr. Page. "Was he pleased---or even curious?"

Prescott swallowed hard, twice, and did some rapid thinking, ere
he went on, with all faces turned toward him:

"Mr. Page, if this boy turns out to be your son-----"

"Describe him to me---minutely!" ordered the father.

Dick fell into a personal description of Tag Mosher. Others,
as they now watched Mr. Page closely, felt that Tag must be his
son. The description, as to complexion, features, hair and eyes,
all tallied closely with Mr. Page's own appearance.

"Now, don't keep me in suspense any longer," begged Mr. Page.
"Take me to him, that I may help decide for myself."

"If he is your son, sir," Dick went on solemnly, and hating his
task, "I am much afraid that you are going to be disappointed
in him. The boy is known as Tag Mosher. He believes a dissolute,
drunken, thieving fellow named Bill Mosher, who is now in jail,
to be his father. Tag is himself a wild young savage of the
forest, and maintains himself by st---poaching."

"If this young man is, indeed, my son," murmured Mr. Page, his
eyes glistening, "how fortunate that I am about to come up with
him! He will have no need to steal hereafter. He shall have
comfort, protection, proper training at last! But where is he?
Why are you keeping me from him? How long since you have seen
him?"

"Only a few minutes ago," Dick answered. "He had just robbed
our