"Well, if you must know, I'm speaking about Ruth Stevenson, who goes to a young ladies' school not far from Colby Hall. She and I are very good friends, and she has told me a good deal about this quarrel you had with her father."

"It was Fred Stevenson's fault--it wasn't my fault!" grumbled the old lumberman.

"Maybe it was, Uncle Barney. I don't know anything about that. But I do know that Ruth has told me that her father never wanted nor tried to do you any injury. He claims that it was all a mistake, and that you should have given him a chance to explain."

"It wasn't any mistake--I know just exactly what happened!"

"But don't you think you ought to at least listen to what Ruth's father has to say? All he wants you to do is to hear his story."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Ruth told me. She said both her father and her mother are very much upset over the way you have treated them. They want to be friends with you, and her father is willing to do whatever is right regarding what took place years ago. She said her folks would like nothing better than to have you give up your lonely life on this island and come down and make your home with them."

"What! Me go down there and live with them after all that has happened!

I couldn't do anything like that!" and the old lumberman sprang up and began to pace the cabin floor.

"You could do it if you tried, Uncle Barney. By the way, don't you remember Ruth?"

"Sure I do--as pretty a little girl as ever I set eyes on. I never had anything against her. It was her father I had my quarrel with."

"And you liked Ruth's mother, too, didn't you?" went on Jack slowly.

"Oh, yes. Helen Dean always was a nice girl. I knew her long before Fred Stevenson married her."

"And you liked Ruth's father, too, didn't you, before this quarrel took place?"

"Of course. We were very chummy up to that time." The old lumberman took several turns across the cabin floor. "But that's all over now. He didn't treat me fair--that's all there is to it! He didn't even come to my wife's funeral!"

"Well, if he didn't, he's very sorry for it now. And you can take it from me, Uncle Barney, that he would like nothing better than to patch up the matter somehow or other, and be friends once more."

"Yes, but----"

"And just think how happy it would make his wife and Ruth!" continued Jack quietly.

"Maybe. But I don't see how it can be done. Anyway, I ain't going to take the first step," went on Uncle Barney, somewhat lamely.

"You won't have to take the first step!" cried Jack. "You just let them do that." He came over and caught the old lumberman by the arm. "Will you?"

For a moment Uncle Barney was silent. He bit his lip and rubbed his chin with the back of his hand.

"Well, I'll see about it," he said slowly. "I'll think it over."

CHAPTER XXVII

THE BLUE TIN BOX

When Jack Rover returned to the other cabin he was in a happy frame of mind. He had talked to Barney Stevenson for over an hour, and the old man had at last agreed to listen to what Ruth's father might have to say to him. He had admitted that living on the island was rather a lonely existence for him, especially as he was getting old.

"I do hope they patch up their differences," remarked Jack to his cousins, after he had told them of the conversation held. "I know it will take a great load off of Ruth's mind."

"Are you going to send the Stevensons a letter?" questioned Fred.

"I'm going to do better than that, Fred," was the reply. "I'll skate down to Rockville the first thing in the morning and send Ruth and her folks a telegram. There is nothing like striking while the iron is hot."

"Exactly so!" put in Andy. "It's just like catching a flea while he is biting;" and at this sally there was a general laugh.

Jack was as good as his word, and slipped off early in the morning, accompanied by Randy. It was a beautiful day, and the youths had little difficulty in reaching the town. Here the oldest Rover boy spent quite some time concocting the proper message, which he sent to the Stevenson home address.

"I only hope somebody will be there to receive it," he said, after the message had been paid for, and he had urged upon the operator to send it without delay.

Several more days, including Sunday, pa.s.sed rather quietly for the boys.

One afternoon there came another fall of snow, and they grew rather fearful, thinking they might be snowed in. But the fall proved a light one, and in the morning it was as clear as ever.

Jack had been rather disappointed at not getting the brook mink at which he had shot, and now he asked the others if they would not go to the locality where the mink had been seen.

"I'd like to bring one of them down," said the oldest Rover boy.

"Well, we might as well go after the mink as do anything," answered Fred. He was growing just a bit tired of going after nothing but rabbits and squirrels. For two days they had seen nothing else at which to shoot. Even the wolves and wild turkeys kept well out of sight.

The boys found old Uncle Barney polishing his gun. He told them, however, that he was not going out hunting, but was going into the woods to inspect some of the trees with a view to cutting them down for lumber.

"You won't have no easy time of it getting a mink," he said. "The only way I ever got 'em was in a trap. Howsomever, go ahead and enjoy yourselves. Hunting is a good deal like fishing--you can have lots of fun even if you don't get anything," and he chuckled. Nevertheless, his face looked as if he was somewhat worried.

"I'll wager he's thinking about Ruth's father and that meeting they may have," said Randy, when the Rovers were alone and preparing to go out on the hunt.

"Either that, Randy, or else he is brooding over the trouble Professor Lemm and Mr. Brown are making for him."

"There's one thing I can't understand about this," put in Andy. "Why should those men be so anxious to obtain possession of an island like this? It isn't very large, and the lumber on it can't be worth a great deal. I should think they could pick up a piece of real estate almost anywhere that would be far more valuable than this."

"Now you're saying something that I've been thinking right along,"

answered Jack. "Even if they wanted this place for a summer resort, it wouldn't bring any great sum of money."

"One thing is certain," said Fred; "they are very eager to get possession."

"Yes. And another thing is certain, too," added Jack. "That is, Uncle Barney isn't going to let them have it if he can possibly stop them."

The boys had had an early breakfast, and now they filled one of their game bags with a well-cooked lunch, and also carried with them a thermos bottle filled with hot chocolate.

"We don't want to run short on food," cautioned Andy. "Gee! what an appet.i.te this fresh air gives a fellow!"

"Right you are!" answered Fred. "I could eat five or six meals a day and never mind it at all."

"I'm glad we have managed to bring down so many squirrels and rabbits,"

put in Randy. "If it wasn't for that, we might have run a little short on eating. I'm a little bit tired of squirrel stew and rabbit potpie, although they are a whole lot better than going hungry."