"It's my father's," broke in Adrian. "But I never knew there was coal on it. There's a spring, and a good one, but nobody ever thought of looking for coal. I wish there was some."
"Why?" from Mr. Dudley, suddenly.
"Because," answered Adrian, "my father might get a good enough price for it, so's he could sell some and pay off the mortgage on the rest."
"Oh, then the farm is mortgaged?"
"Yes." And then the boy seemed to realize that he was talking too freely to strangers, and he stopped.
"Well," went on Mr. Dudley, "I'm sorry to say as far as I can see there's not the least chance of any coal ever being found in this section of the country. It is not the kind of land where coal is located."
Adrian looked the disappointment he felt. He had really hoped there might be coal on his father's farm.
"Do you want to go down by the spring?" persisted Roger, starting off in that direction.
"Um, ah—yes. I think we might as well as not," said Mr. Ranquist, in spite of the obvious efforts Mr. Dudley made to have him say something different.
All four started off, but at that instant there came a sudden sound to the left. It was a crashing of the under-brush and bushes, as if some heavy, lumbering body was being forced through them. Then a black shape burst into view, and the next second a big, ungainly animal, tall and covered with dark fur, thrust itself into the open, while the wide-stretched mouth showed the lolling red tongue and glistening white fangs of an immense black bear.