Slowly and sadly Russ and Laddie drove their dog-cart back toward Grandma Bell's house. They went slowly because it was uphill from Green Pond, and Zip was tired. He had chased after a rabbit and a cat, and he had pulled Russ and Laddie all the way. No wonder the dog was tired. So the boys did not try to drive him fast.  
And the two boys were sad because, though they had found the right red-haired tramp lumberman—the same one that had Daddy Bunker's ragged² coat—still the real estate papers were not in it.
 
"It's too bad," said Russ, as Zip walked along.
 
"Yes," agreed Laddie.
 
"I thought surely we'd get the papers," Russ went on.
 
"And I didn't ask him any riddle³," said Laddie.
 
"Oh, well, never mind that," went on Russ.
 
"Maybe I can ask him again, though," said Laddie, brightening up. "We can have daddy take us there, and I can ask him then."
 
"What would daddy want to take us there for?" asked Russ.
 
"To see the old coat. Maybe Mr. Gannon has another, and that has the papers in."
 
"I don't guess so," answered Russ. "Gid-dap, Zip."
 
Zip didn't "gid-dap" very fast, but he kept on going. And when he came to the top of the hill, and began to trot⁴ down toward Lake Sagatook, he went faster. I think he knew he could have a good rest in the barn, and also have some hot supper.
 
For it was getting near to supper-time. The sun was going down in the west, and in a little while it would be dark. Already the shadows were longer, and it was already a little dark when the boys drove through little patches of wood.
 
But they did not get lost, for Zip knew the way back, and soon the dog-cart was rattling⁵ up the gravel⁶ drive of Grandma Bell's house.
 
"There they come!" cried a voice, and there was a general rush to the porch. Daddy and Mother Bunker, with Grandma Bell, Jane the hired girl, and the four little Bunkers looked at the wanderers.
 
"Where in the world have you two been?" cried Mother Bunker.
 
"We were worried about you," said her husband.
 
"And we were just going to get Tom to hitch⁷ up the horse and go to look for you," added Grandma Bell.
 
"Were you lost?" Rose asked.
 
"Did the old ram¹ chase you?" Vi wanted to know.
 
Margy and Mun Bun toddled⁸ down the steps to look at Zip, who had stretched out on the grass, still hitched⁹ to the cart.
 
"Oh-oo-o-o! His nose is all scratched," said Margy. "Does it hurt you, Zip?" she asked, gently patting him, and the dog wagged his tail.
 
"Did some other dog bite him?" asked Mun Bun.
 
"No, a cat scratched him," answered Russ.
 
"What cat?" the children's mother wanted to know.
 
"It was the red-haired lumberman's cat," Russ went on. "We went to his cabin, over at Green Pond, where Mr. Barker lives. His name is Mike Gannon—the tramp lumberman, I mean. Mr. Hurd told us about him, and we went to see him and——"
 
"I forgot to ask him a riddle!" broke in Laddie.
 
"Never mind about riddles¹⁰ now, my dear," said Mother Bunker softly. "Let us hear what Russ is saying."
 
"Did you really find a red-haired tramp lumberman?" asked Mr. Bunker.
 
"Yes," answered Russ. "And he had your ragged coat, but the papers weren't in it, Daddy. And he was sorry and so were we and I'm hungry!"
 
"So'm I!" added Laddie, before the words were fairly out of his brother's mouth. "I'm awful hungry!"
 
"But what does it all mean?" asked Mrs. Bunker. "Have you two boys really been somewhere?"
 
"We found the red-haired tramp lumberman, I told you," said Russ, "but he didn't have those papers."
 
"Let me hear all about it once again," begged Daddy Bunker. He seemed as much excited as Russ and Laddie had been when they first saw Mr. Gannon.
 
"First let me get them something to eat," said Grandma Bell. "We had our supper—an early one," she went on, "but I saved some for you boys. You shall eat first, and then tell us your story."
 
"I guess Zip wants to eat, too," said Laddie. "He didn't catch the rabbit and the cat scratched him."
 
"I'll have Jane give Zip a good supper," said Grandma Bell. "And there is strawberry shortcake for you boys."
 
"Oh, goody!" cried Russ.
 
Laddie clapped his hands in joy.
 
And, taking turns, between bites, as it were, when they were eating supper, Russ and Laddie told of having met Mr. Hurd, who had spoken of the red-haired lumberman working at Mr. Barker's place.
 
"So we went there, and Zip chased his cat," explained Russ. "And we upset, but he was nice and he showed us the ragged coat, only the pockets were full of holes and there weren't any papers."
 
"Well, that's too bad!" said Daddy Bunker. "You two little boys were very kind to do as much as you did, though."
 
"Do you suppose, by any chance, this tramp lumberman might know something of your papers, Charles?" asked Grandma Bell.
 
"I'll go over and see him in the morning," said Mr. Bunker.
 
"May we go along?" asked Rose. "I'd like to see the cat that scratched Zip."
 
"He won't scratch him again," Laddie said. "They're good friends now."
 
"I don't want to see Zip scratched," returned Rose. "I just want to see Green Pond and the red-haired man and the cat."
 
"I'll tell you what we can do," said Grandma Bell. "We can all go on a picnic to Green Pond to-morrow. We'll go in the carry-all and take our lunch. I know Mr. Barker, and he'll let us eat our lunch in his woods. Then you can ask the red-haired man about the lost papers, Charles."
 
Mr. Bunker said this would be a good plan, and the next morning, bright and early, after the lunch had been put up, the six little Bunkers, with their father and mother and grandmother, started for Green Pond.
 
In a little while they were traveling along through the woods, down the same hill on which Zip had chased the rabbit. This time Zip had been left in the barn with Tom Hardy¹². Daddy B............