stand this state of affairs much longer. Look at that, out there.
Four bass jumping within fifteen seconds. This is cruelty to
fishermen!"

"Tom, you take Dan and Harry, and go up along the shore," proposed
Dick. "I'll take the others with me, and we'll go down along
the shore. Each party will walk and search for half an hour,
and then return, unless we find a boat sooner."

"Aren't you going to leave someone to watch the camp?" asked Danny
Grin.

"It is hardly necessary," decided Prescott.

"But Bert Dodge-----" suggested Greg.

"For Dodge to be out here so early he'd have to be up by five
in the morning, and make an early start," Dick rejoined. "I don't
believe he's industrious enough for that."

"The camp will be all right," Dave agreed.

"Of course," Tom assented. "Anyway, there's nothing here worth
stealing that would be small enough to carry away."

"Except the food," hinted Danny Grin.

"This is too far off the main roads for tramps to come this way,"
Dick replied.

So Dalzell, with a sigh, rose to accompany Reade and Hazelton.

Dick and his two companions thoroughly explored the shore as far
as they went on the lower part of the lake. From time to time
Prescott consulted his watch. In all the time that they were
out they passed only one building, a tumble-down, weather-beaten
shack that looked as though it had not been inhabited in twenty
years. Not even a vestige of a craft was found.

"It's time to go back," said Dick at last. "Too bad we couldn't
find anything."

"There must have been boats on this lake at one time," hinted
Dave, "or else there wouldn't be that broken-down old pier near
the camp."

"I guess there was a time when this lake was a fishing ground
to supply the Gridley and other near-by markets," Dick went on.
"But, fellows, there's a curious thing about these fish markets
that I don't know whether you've noticed. There are several fish
stores in Gridley, and yet in all of them you couldn't buy a pound
of fish except the kinds that are caught in salt water. I wonder
if there are any fish markets in this part of the country that
make a specialty of fresh-water fish?"

More slowly, Dick, Dave and Greg retraced their steps.

"Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!" signaled Dick as they neared their camp.

From away up the shore the answering "hoo hoo!" came faintly.

"Tom didn't give up the search as easily as we did," commented
Dave. "Poor old chap, he will be seriously disappoint