lar, rushing him to the lake. Into it went
both boys, Tom ducking Harry's head under the water.

"Wha-a-at's that for?" sputtered Hazelton as soon as he could
talk.

"Because you needed it," replied Tom soberly. "Will you kindly
do as much for me? We were all such chumps that we cheated ourselves
out of the best black bass fishing to-day that ever mortal saw.
So we all ought to be ducked."

Harry stared at his friend in some astonishment.

"On second thought, though," concluded Reade, "you needn't duck
me. You may postpone it. I'm going bass fishing the very instant
that the canoe is judged to be safe."

"And I'll be the bass-hunting pin-head who merely does the paddling,"
proposed Danny Grin meekly.

"I guess you're the biggest pin-head in camp, all right---after
myself," nodded Reade. "So we ought to hit it off as bass fishermen,
Danny boy."

"Fellows," hinted Dick judicially, "I think we had better turn
the canoe over to Tom for the first trip. His craze to go bass
fishing is so acute that it fairly pains him. Tom can have the
first trip, can't he?"

There was a general assent. Tom darted away to overhaul such
tackle as he had for bass fishing. He came back with a small
but tough jointed rod, some very long lines, and some flashily,
bright spoons.

"Danny, get a shovel and dig for some grubs," Tom ordered, as
he sorted tackle. "When you can't fool black bass with one thing
you must try another. If you fellows see any tiny chubs swimming
about in the little coves here, try to get a lot of them. We
can keep them in a bucket of water. Perch? Bah! The real fishing
is about to begin now!"

"Do you really expect to get any bass today, Tom?" Dick inquired.

"Hard to say," replied Reade, shaking his head as he glanced up
from the tackle he was overhauling to look out upon the lake.
"I haven't seen a single bass jump in five hours now. But I
may get two or three. I certainly will, if the bass are sportsmanlike
enough to give me any show at 'em."

By the time that Tom had his tackle in shape Dick and Dave pronounced
the canoe wholly water tight. Dan Dalzell, equipped with one
of the paddles, took a kneeling position just back of the bow
seat. Tom got in next, squatting with his face to the stern of
the canoe. None of the others were to go. At a pinch this ten-foot
canoe might hold three, but fishermen as a rule do not care to
have extra passengers in their boats.

"Give 'em a cheer, bo