"Now, what can that fellow be doing?" Joe asked, as he arose to his feet. "It's a boy, an' we'd be in big luck if it should turn out to be that precious Tim."
"But it isn't; he wears a cap, and this one has a hat. It looks something like——Why it is! It's Skip!"
"Skip?" Joe repeated in amazement. "What's he doin' out here, an' with such a load?"
"In order to answer that question I shall have to ask him," and Fred shouted the boy's name.
Skip started as if alarmed at being summoned, and then, waving his hat in triumph, he came toward the party at his best pace.
"I knew I'd find you if I hunted long enough," he exclaimed as he came within speaking distance, and added when he finally reached the tree and threw down the burden. "It's mighty heavy, an' I thought one spell yesterday I'd have to give up the job. Reckon you're glad to get it, eh?"
"What have you there?"
"Grub, of course. When Joe didn't turn up, an' there was no sign of Fred, I figured that you'd both want somethin' to eat, so took out my wages in what was handiest to eat. Mrs. Byram said I'd never find you, but it wouldn't do any harm to try, so here we are."
"Did you spend your money to buy us food?" Fred asked.
"Why not? It'll take a good deal more'n that to straighten things between us, an' I'd like to get the 'count squared some time."