"By the way, Mr. Stevenson," said Jack curiously, "do you know a Mr. Frederic Stevenson?" Jack had learned from Ruth that that was her father's name.
At this unexpected question, the old lumberman opened wide his eyes and glared at the young cadet.
"Yes, I know him—very well," he growled. "But I don't want to hear anything about him—not a word! Is he a friend of yours?"
"He is the father of one of the young ladies who is a pupil at Clearwater Hall."
"Oh, I see! Humph! Well, I don't want to hear anything about Fred Stevenson, and if you want to be friends with me, you needn't mention his name to me again," went on the old lumberman, much to the surprise of the Rover boys.
CHAPTER VI
DEEP IN THE WOODS
"What do you suppose was the reason that old lumberman didn't want to hear Mr. Stevenson's name mentioned?" questioned Randy of Jack, about half an hour later, when the four cadets were tramping through the woods again to resume their hunting.