. "We'll make it
the greatest Christmas this old Hollow ever saw. Now, let's turn in. I
want to be out for those rabbits right early. By the way, Alec, I hope
there's some of that venison left for the big feast."

"Dinna ye worry, laddie. I hae saved a roast special," replied Alec as
he prepared things for the night.

CHAPTER XI

CHRISTMAS IN SMUGGLERS' HOLLOW

"Merry Christmas!"

At the sound of Pat's roar the three guests hastily tumbled out of their
bunks with answering greetings. A cheerful fire blazed up the chimney
and added its flickering light to that of a couple of candles, for the
sun was not yet up. Alec was cutting bacon and Pat was mixing flapjack
batter.

"Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes, and the one who isn't ready
goes hungry," he announced.

"It won't be yours truly," declared Hal, reaching for his clothes.

"My tummy, oh, my tummy!
It gives me such a pain!
I wonder will it ever----

"Say, who swiped one of my socks? I can't find but one, and I left 'em
together." He began to toss things left and right in search of the
missing article.

Meanwhile Upton was down on his knees fumbling under his bunk. At Hal's
complaint he looked up suspiciously. "I can't find one of mine," he
sputtered. "Somebody's been putting up a job on us. Hi! What the----" He
finished by pointing toward the fireplace.

Hal looked. There hung his missing sock. Also one of Upton's and one of
Sparrer's, all three misshapen and bulging.

"Ut would not be Christmas an' we did not hang the childer's stockings,"
announced Pat gravely.

With a whoop the three boys fell on the stockings. Entering into the
spirit of the occasion they seated themselves on the floor in front of
the fire and pulled out the contents as gleefully as ever they had
emptied Christmas stockings at home in their younger days. The gifts
were trifling in themselves, but the better for that very fact. There
were little packages of spruce-gum, a carved paper-knife, a tiny
birch-bark canoe, whistles made from buck's horn, a rabbit's foot charm,
and other knickknacks of the woods. Pat's voice broke into the midst of
the babel produced by the discovery of the socks and their contents.
"Five minutes for those who want breakfast," he announced.

Instantly there was a mad scramble to finish dressing and when time was
up it was evident that no one proposed to go hungry that Christmas
morning. During the meal it was decided that