"'Cause it isn't. I know the answer, and it isn't that. Tom helped me think the riddle up. Maybe it's an old one, but Tom said it was good. Why is Zip, when he's tired, like a little boy?" Russ thought for a while, and then he said: "I don't know. I give up. Why is he, Laddie?" "'Cause his breath comes in short pants. You see when Zip is tired his breath is short--he pants, Tom told me. And a little boy, like you and me, Russ, wears short pants. So that's why Zip is like one." "Oh, I see!" laughed Russ. "That's pretty good. I know a riddle too, Laddie." "What is it?" "This. What makes a miller wear a white hat?" Laddie thought over this for a moment or two and then said: "He wears a white hat so the flour dust won't show so plain." "Nope; that isn't it," Russ declared. "Is it because nobody would sell him a black hat?" asked Laddie. "Nope. Shall I tell you the answer?" "No. Let me guess!" begged the smaller boy. He gave several other answers, none of which, Russ said, was right, and at last Laddie murmured: "I give up! Why does a miller wear a white hat?" "To keep his head warm, same as anybody else!" laughed Russ. "Tom told me that riddle, too," he added. "Well," said Laddie slowly, as he took off his own hat to run his fingers through his hair, "that isn't as good a riddle as the one about Zip's breath coming in short pants." "Maybe not. But it's harder to guess," said Russ. Then the two boys, after waiting for Zip's breath to come out of short pants--that is, waiting for him to get rested--went for a ride in the dog-cart. As they were going down the road they saw, coming toward them, a man with bright red hair. He was driving a horse and carriage. "There's Mr. Hurd," said Russ. "He's the one we thought was the tramp lumberman that got daddy's real estate papers." "I see him," said Laddie. "Look! He's waving to us! Let's go over and see what he wants." Mr. Hurd was driving down a cross road, and waited for the boys to come up to him. "Hello, Russ and Laddie!" he called, "I've got some news for you!" "News?" asked Russ. "Yes. Do you remember when you took me for the red-haired lumberman that you thought had your father's papers: Remember that?" "Yes," answered Russ, "I do. But you weren't him. I wish we could find him." "Maybe you can," said Mr. Hurd, and Russ looked at him in a queer way. What did Mr. Hurd mean? CHAPTER XXII OFF ON A TRIP "Are you sure this tramp lumberman who took the old coat with your father's papers in it, had red hair?" asked Mr. Hurd as Zip came to a stop near the carriage, and lay down in the shade, for, not being a big horse, the dog could do almost as he pleased when harnessed up. "Yes, he had red hair," said Russ. "But he really didn't mean to take the papers. I heard my father say. It was just a mistake." "Yes, I guess that was it," agreed Mr. Hurd. "Well, your father would like to get those papers back, wouldn't he?"