"I'm going to find out--some day," replied Joe. "But, to tell the truth,
I don't know how to go at it. Uncle Hiram doesn't like to talk about it.
He thinks my father did wrong to go away. I imagine they had a quarrel
over it."

"Has he ever heard from your father since?"

"Not a word."

"Did he write?"

"He didn't know where to write to."

"Humph! It is certainly a mystery, Joe."

"You are right, Ned; and as I said before, I am going to solve it some
time, even if it takes years of work to do it," replied the hermit's
boy.



CHAPTER II.


A MYSTERIOUS CONVERSATION.


The old hunting lodge where the two boys had sought shelter was a
rambling affair, consisting of a square building built of logs, and half