"They mostly do that when a dog chases 'em," said the gate-man. "Well, you just follow the road along until you come to the cabin where the red-haired lumberman lives--Mike Gannon is his name--and then you can ask him about the ragged coat and the papers. Stop and tell me about it on your way out." "We will," promised Russ and Laddie. Then Russ called to Zip: "Gid-dap!" Up jumped the dog with a bark, as much as to say "Good-bye!" to the gate-man, and down the gravel drive he trotted with the cart. "He was a nice man, wasn't he?" observed Laddie. "Yes, terrible nice," agreed Russ. "I hope we find the red-haired lumberman." "I forgot to ask him a riddle," went on Laddie. "I mean the man at the gate. But I can ask him one when we go back." "If we have time," Russ said. "We can't stay too long, or mother and daddy and Grandma Bell will wonder where we are." "That's so," agreed Laddie. "Well, we'll just find the lumberman and get the papers and take them to daddy." Only it was not going to be quite as easy as that, the boys were to learn. Along the pretty drive, under the trees, they went in the dog-cart. Pretty soon they came to a part of the road where the little lake came close to the roadway, and, just beyond, was a log cabin. "There's where the lumberman lives," said Russ. "Yes, I guess he does," agreed Laddie. And just then, all of a sudden, Zip saw a cat out in front of the cabin. With a growl and a bark the dog began to run toward the cat as fast as he could go, pulling the cart after him. "Whoa! Whoa! Stop!" cried Russ. "Stop! Stop, Zip!" yelled Laddie. "Stop!" But the dog did not hear, or would not mind. Straight at the cat he rushed, and pussy, seeing a strange dog coming, and pulling a soap-box cart in which were two boys--pussy, seeing this strange sight--arched her back and made her tail get as big as a big bologna sausage. CHAPTER XXIV THE OLD COAT "Bang!" That was the soap-box cart hitting against a tree. "Tunk! Tunk!" Those were the soft sounds Russ and Laddie made as they were spilled out on the grass near the lumberman's cabin. "Bow-wow!" That was Zip barking at the cat. "Hiss-siss!" That was the cat making queer noises at Zip. "Wow-ow-ow-Yelp!" That was Zip howling because the cat scratched his nose. For that's just what the cat did. Zip rushed at her so fast that he banged the cart against a tree, and turned it over on its side, spilling out Russ and Laddie. And Zip, not seeming to care what happened to his little masters, kept on after the cat. But pussy was brave, and she didn't run and climb a tree, as most cats did when Zip chased them. She just stood, arching her back, making her tail big, and sissing queer sounds until the dog came near enough, when she darted out a paw, and the sharp claws scratched Zip on the nose. Then Zip howled and sat down to look at the cat. And the cat stayed right there looking at Zip.