They were just halting again when a burly man came rushing from the lodge. He was an Englishman, with a beefy face and a manner that showed he was exceedingly over-bearing. "Hi! hi! stop!" he roared. "Put those children down! What do you mean by carrying them along on such a dirty wagon as that?" "Come, we'll have to put you down now," said Owen to the little ones, and helped them to alight, without paying attention to the newcomer. "I say, what do you mean by putting those children on your dirty wagon?" went on the Englishman wrathfully. "They wanted a ride and we gave it to them," answered Dale. "Well, don't you do it again." The man turned to the little ones. "Run to the house now. Your mamma is looking all over for you." "You are very civil, I must say," said Owen dryly, and then he drove off, with Dale beside him, leaving the Englishman gazing after them with a countenance that was more wrathy than ever. CHAPTER XV TWO LITTLE RUNAWAYS "That fellow must be Jasper Nown, the caretaker here," remarked Dale, after they had driven out of hearing of the man who had come after the Wilbur children. "I guess you're right," returned Owen. He drew a long breath. "I wouldn't have him around me five minutes," he added. "Nor I, Owen. But I guess it's the style to have an Englishman around. I know they have English butlers and English coachmen down in Boston." "Oh, well, an Englishman is all right--you know that as well as I do. One of the best fellows I ever worked with at Odell's was Nestor, and he was an Englishman. But this fellow is one of the over-bearing, know-it-all kind." "Perhaps he doesn't act that way when Mr. or Mrs. Wilbur is around." "More than likely he doesn't." The work on the new road through the woods continued day after day. During that time there was only one little shower, which scarcely wet the ground. As Dale said, everything was as dry as punk, and the bushes and trees showed that a heavy downpour was needed. During those days the two young lumbermen had occasion to pass the Wilbur lodge several times. Once they met Jasper Nown, and he stared at them surlily, but without speaking. "Mr. Wilbur must have scolded him for having allowed Ducrot and Axton to break into the lodge, and he must think that we are in some way responsible for the calling-down he got," said Owen, and his chum agreed that this might be so. One afternoon they met Mrs. Wilbur out walking with Gertrude and Bertie. Both of the children recognized the young lumbermen, and set up a shout. "Give us another ride?" came from Bertie. "Yes, yes!" put in Gertrude. "I like to ride in that big wagon." "Not now, dears," said Mrs. Wilbur, and then she smiled and bowed to Dale and Owen, and they tipped their caps to her. "You were kind to give them a ride the other day," she remarked sweetly. "Oh, they were welcome," replied Owen, and Dale said something similar.