"I'll tell Norah to get him something to eat," said Mrs. Bunker, who was
kind to every one.

And while she was gone, and while the six little Bunkers looked at the
ragged man, the children's father talked to him.

"I'd like to find that tramp lumberman," said Mr. Bunker. "I gave him the
coat because he needed it more than I did, but I didn't know I had left
the papers in the pocket. You're not the man, though. I didn't have a very
good look at him, but he had a lot of red hair on his head: I saw that
much."

"My hair's black--what there is of it," said the ragged man. "But I don't
know anything about your papers. But if I see a red-haired lumberman in my
travels around the country, I'll tell him to send you back the papers."

"That will be very kind of you," said Mr. Bunker, "as I need them very
much. Do you think you might meet this red-haired lumberman tramp, who has
my old coat?"

"Well, I might. You never can tell. I travel about a good bit, and I meet
lots of fellers like myself, though I don't know as I ever saw a
lumberman."

"This man wasn't a regular tramp," said Mr. Bunker. "He was only tramping
around looking for work, and he happened to stop at my place."

"That's like me," said the black-haired tramp. "I'm looking for work, too.
Got any wood that needs cutting?"