"Old man, what are you doing there?" Gordon asked. "Thinkin' out some th-thoughts," said the Emperor, soberly, as he came into the trail, limping on his bare foot, and shook hands. There were greetings, and the hunter briefly apologized for his bare leg and explained it. "Well, how are you?" Gordon asked. "S-supple!" Strong answered, cheerfully. The children got behind their father, peering from either side of him as they saw this uncouth figure coming near. Sue pressed the hand of her brother so tightly as to cause the boy to break her hold upon him. "R-ride?" said the Emperor, putting his great hand on the head of the boy and shaking it a little. Socky looked up at him with large, wondering, timid eyes. Sue hid her face under the coat-tails of her father. "They'd rather walk; come on," said Gordon. The men proceeded slowly over the hill and down into the valley of Lost River. The children followed, some twenty paces behind, whispering together. They were still in happy ignorance of the identity of the strange man. "S-sold out--eh?" said the hunter. "Sold out! Sorry! They're going to shove a railroad in here and begin cutting." A smothered oath broke from the lips of the Emperor. Gordon came near to him and whispered: "Sile," said he, "don't swear before the kids. I'm bad enough, but I've always been careful about that. Going to leave 'em here if you'll let me." "G-good--" The Emperor stopped short and his voice fell into thoughtful silence. As they came in sight of the little clearing and the tent and cabins of Lost River camp, Sue and Socky ran ahead of the men. "I'm in trouble," Gordon went on. "My account at the mill is overdrawn. They've pushed me to the verge of madness. I must have a little help." The woodsman stopped and put his hand on the shoulder of Gordon. "Been f-foolish, Dick?" said he, kindly. "I'm done with that. I want to begin new. I need a little money to throw to the wolves." "How m-much?" "Four hundred dollars would do me." Strong beckoned to him. "C-come to my goosepen," said the hunter, as he led the way to an old basswood some fifty paces from the camp. He removed a piece of bark which fitted nicely over a hole in the tree-trunk. He put his hand in the hole which he called a goosepen and took out a roll of bills. "You save like a squirrel," said Gordon. "Dunno no other w-way," Strong answered as he began to count the money. "Three hundred an' s-seventy dollars," he said, presently, and gave it to his brother-in-law. He felt in the hole again. "B-bank's failed!" he added. The kindness of the woodland was in the face of the hunter. He was like an old hickory drawing its nourishment from the very bosom of the earth and freely giving its crop. Where he fed there was plenty, and he had no more thought of his own needs than a tree. "Thank you' It's enough," said Gordon. "Better keep some of it." "N-no good here," Strong answered, with his old reliance on the bounty of nature.