dressed in dark suits and with slouch hats."

"Did you hit them?"

"No, we only fired to scare them off."

"Where did they go?"

"Ran back of Dickson's boathouse," answered the doctor's son.

A brief search was made, but the prowlers, of course, were not
located. Then the men went home, and Snap and Shep settled down
to make themselves comfortable for the rest of the night.

"Ham and Carl won't forget that reception in a hurry," remarked
the doctor's son, and indulged in a laugh, in which his chum joined.

The rest of the night passed without anything unusual happening.
Early in the morning Whopper and Giant appeared and were told
of what had occurred.

"Served 'em right," cried Giant. "Oh, I wish I had seen them,"
he added, with a broad grin.

"I don't think they'll try any such game again in a thousand years,"
said Whopper.

"Make it a million, Whopper," added the doctor's son.

Whopper and Giant had had breakfast and said good-bye to their folks
and now Snap and Shep went off to get something to eat. By nine
o'clock they returned and said they were ready for the start.
The others already had the boat out and the outfit properly stored
on board.

"All ready?" called out Snap, who was looked upon as the leader of
the club.

"All ready," came from the others.

"Sure we haven't left anything behind---salt, mustard, vinegar,
or canned soft-soap?"

"Maybe Whopper's left his shaving outfit behind," suggested Giant.

"Humph!" muttered the youth mentioned. "Be sure and take Giant's
hobby horse with you." And then there was a general laugh, in
the midst of which Snap shoved off from the boathouse dock.

It was arranged that Shep and Whopper should row for the first few
miles and then be relieved by Snap and Giant. A number of boys had
come down to the dock to see them off. There was a general shouting.

"Hope you have a good time!"

"Be sure and bring back plenty of game!"

"Say, if you see that ghost up to Lake Narsac give him my regards!"

"I wouldn't go up to that locality for a farm! You'll be sure to
get into trouble. Every spot up there is alive with snakes."

"I'll bet they won't go any further than Lake Cameron or Firefly
Lake," said one boy, who was a chum to Ham and Carl.

"It's Lake Narsac or bust!" cried Snap.

"Huh! I'll believe it when I see it," returned the boy on shore.

"Don't worry, you'll never get there, Jack Voss," said a man standing
by. "You are too much of a co