f it. I mean that our kind benefactress shall at least have the
worth of her money, and call it a good investment, if a set of splendid
pictures can fill the bill."

"So long, Jack, and I reckon it would be silly for me to tell you not to
get lost. You've been too long at the business to need any compass in
order to get around in a strange region. But if you should stray away,
remember to shout and I'll fire the gun twice in answer."

"It's a bargain, Steve, and I won't forget the signal," chuckled Jack.
"If anybody should chance to drop in on you while I'm gone, entertain
them as your good sense tells you is the right thing. But remember,
we're just up here for a vacation camping trip, and nothing more."

"Oh! I can be as close-mouthed as a clam, Jack, never fear!" sang out
Steve, as the other strode away the camera held over his shoulder by its
strap.

Jack was gone almost two hours. Then he once more showed up at the camp,
and Steve pretended to be greatly overjoyed at seeing him.

"I was just thinking I had better get out the gun, and fire off both
barrels so's to let you know where the tent lay," he chuckled, as though
such an idea amused him considerably. "But I suppose you've found some
things worth snapping off; how about it, Jack?"

"Yes, I used up a six-exposure film, and believe I've picked up some
things well worth the trouble. Next time I'll go in another direction,
and farther away from camp. This is a wonderful country, Steve. I don't
believe you could find grander bits of scenery than right here among the
Pontico Hills. Anything unusual happen since I went away?"

"Oh! I've had a lot of visitors," laughed the other boy, "slick little
chaps in their fur coats one and all. They are watching us both right
now, I reckon, behind the shelter of the leaves on the ground, and up in
some of these big trees. There were both red squirrels, and fat gray
ones that barked at me, and seemed to ask what business a chap walking
on two feet had in their domain. Then chipmunks galore live around here,
and the little striped fellows have already begun to get acquainted, for
one ran in and picked up a bit of bread I threw, and then whisked out of
sight like fun over there where he lives in the holes under the roots of
that tree. Why, I've been so employed watching them, and talking to
them, that the time has just skipped along. When I looked up at the sun
just now and guessed you'd been gone nearly two hours, I had to