know. But selling vegetables in the village market, and haggling
with stingy buyers over the price of cabbages and green peas, is
what gets my goat!" He laughed ruefully. "I guess I'll have to be
jogging on my homeward way," he added. "So long! Come over and
see me on the farm, if you're ever along that way. I'll show you
my traps and perhaps we can go out on a little hunt--er---that is,
if you-----"

"Thanks; we will," said Tom. "But we don't hunt animals to kill;
it's against scout rules in our troop."

"We hunt 'em with a camera," Arthur explained.

"Oh, I see. Well, so long."

The three lads shook hands.

"So long! Hope we'll meet again soon."

Ralph then took his leave of Denmead and Doctor Kane, and went on
his way, with a new idea buzzing in his mind: so they were going
to make a survey of that locality! He could invite them to
investigate his land, and---what if his father's hopes and
beliefs should prove to be founded on bed-rock? Bed-rock, rich
in ore? Could it be more than a dream? If they should discover
any iron, anything---they were nice fellows---he could trust them.
Very decent chaps to know, perhaps to have as friends. And they
didn't approve of trapping or shooting! Against scout rules, eh?
And was he---oh, well, it was fair play, and he needed whatever
extra money he could earn. Those eagles! Yes, he must not lose