"I dare say," said father, dryly; "particularly the riding and shooting.
Well, I guess you'll make a good-enough doctor to suit me."

"Give me a square deal," I cried, jumping up. "Mayn't I have one word to say
about my future? Wouldn't you rather have me happy and successful as a
forester, even if there is danger, than just an ordinary, poor doctor? Let's
go over our woodland. I'll prove that you are letting your forest run down.
You've got sixty acres of hard woods that ought to be bringing a regular
income. If I can't prove it, if I can't interest you, I'll agree to study
medicine. But if I do you're to let me try forestry."

"Well, Kenneth, that's a fair proposition," returned father, evidently
surprised at my earnestness "Come on. We'll go up in the woods. Hal, I
suppose he's won you over?"

"Ken's got a big thing in mind," replied Hal, loyally "It's just splendid."

I never saw the long, black-fringed line of trees without joy in the
possession of them and a desire to be among them. The sixty acres of timber
land covered the whole of a swampy valley, spread over a rolling hill
sloping down to the glistening river.

"Now, son? go ahead," said my father, as we clambered over a rail fence and
stepped into the edge of shade..

"Well, father--" I began, haltingly, and could not collect my thoughts.
Then we were in the cool woods. It was very still, there being only a faint
rustling of leaves and the mellow note of a hermit-thrush. The deep shadows
were lightened by shafts of sunshine which, here and there, managed to