then you simply won't be able to
keep it a secret that you've eaten some recently. Yet on one
point I must insist. None of you must be dishonorable enough
to name any spot within fifty miles of here as the scene of your
trout luncheon. If you let the secret out all the trout fishermen
in four counties will be swarming here to destroy all the fun
your young men friends are having. So, please remember! Utter,
dark, uncompromising secrecy!"

"Is it as bad as that?" asked Belle.

"Every real trout fisherman knows enough to keep his own secrets
as to the streams that contain trout," Dave nodded.

By this time they came within sight of the camp. Nor was it long
before Tom, Dan and Harry caught sight of the visitors and ran
forward to meet them.

"Our friends have come just in time to have a trout feast," Dick
announced.

"I shall be jealous if they eat the trout," Tom retorted.

"Or envious?" laughed Belle.

"No; jealous," Tom assured her. "Dan and I have been fishing,
too. Come and see what we caught."

Tom led the way to where he had cleaned more than a dozen black
bass, while in buckets of water lay nearly thirty more fine,
sleek-looking fish.

"Didn't you catch anything but bass?" Dave asked.

"A few other fish," Tom admitted, "but we threw the inferior fish
back into the water. Now, girls, which are you going to have---trout
or bass?"

"Both---if we may," ventured Laura, with a smile.

And both were served at the meal. Motherly Mrs. Bentley laid
aside her motoring dust coat and marshaled the girls for the various
tasks to which she assigned them.

What a hubbub there was in preparing the feast!

Dick built two small fires for his own exclusive use. Tom built
two more, while Dan and Greg skirmished for more wood. Dr. Bentley,
his coat off and shirt sleeves rolled up, constructed a "warm
oven" with stones topped by a large baking tin. Then he built
another.

Dick fried the trout, while Dr. Bentley started low fires under
the two crude warming ovens. As fast as trout were fried they
were dropped into one oven, Tom's bass being dropped into the
other. Potatoes were boiling in one pot, tinned peas in another,
and tinned string beans in still another. Tinned pudding was
set in another pot of water to heat, while Mrs. Bentley made a
sauce, and the girls set the table and made the other necessary
preparations for the luncheon.

Presently the meal was ready, though the boys did not seat th