ing over two more fellows. Then, when you get back here,
leave one of the pair here in the canoe, and we will get them
to keep it a hundred feet or more off shore. We don't want our
craft destroyed. And be sure, Dan, that the fellow who stays
behind on the other side of the lake understands that he's to
stick right by the camp and watch it for all he's worth."

"I've got my orders," clicked Danny Grin, with a mock salute.

"Then let's see how well you can paddle alone."

Dalzell gave a few swift, strong turns of the paddle that sent
the light canvas canoe darting over the water.

"Now, come along," urged Tom. "I'm anxious to get busy this morning."

First of all, the two high school boys walked up the lake shore
for some distance, keeping their eyes wide open and all their
senses on the alert. Then, returning, they walked for a considerable
distance down the shore.

"There are our reinforcements coming," announced Tom, pointing
across the lake. "Danny and his load will be here within fifteen
minutes."

"We'll wait for the other fellows, before going away from the
shore," Dick proposed. "If we started now they wouldn't know
where to find us."

Returning to the landing place, Dick silently waved his hat until
he caught the attention of Dave Darrin, seated in the bow of the
canoe, who answered the signal just as silently.

Presently the craft came up to the shore.

"Who's going to stay in the canoe?" Dick inquired.

"I am," Harry Hazelton declared dolefully. "We drew lots on the
other side. Greg drew the shortest twig, so he had to stay at
the camp. I got the next shortest twig, so my job is boat-tender."

Dave and Dan stepped ashore. Heaving a sigh, Harry paddled out
on the lake some hundred and fifty feet from land.

"Now, how are we going to beat up the country on this fine July
morning?" Tom wanted to know.

Dick stood looking at the surrounding ground.

"I think I know as good a plan as any," he announced, after a
pause. "Dave, you and I will walk down the lake, using our eyes
and ears. Tom and Dan will go in the opposite direction. Each
pair will keep along until our watches show that we've been going
ten minutes. Then we will walk up the slope a hundred steps and
turn toward the centre, meeting probably about the end of the
second ten minutes. After that, if we decide to do so, we can
go further inland from the lake. If there's a house or hut, or
any fellow camping out in this ne