aging to a high-class humorist to have to throw away his
choice offerings on a bunch like this," said Herb, in an injured voice.
"Some day, when I am far away, you'll wish you had listened to those
gems of humor."

"I'd like to believe you, but that hardly seems possible," said Bob.
"Can you imagine the day ever coming when we'd actually want to sit down
and listen to Herb's line of humor?"

"My imagination isn't up to anything like that," replied Joe. "But, of
course, you don't really ever have to ask Herb to spill some of those
jokes. The hard thing is to keep him from doing it."

"Oh, all right," retorted Herb. "Only, remember that it is 'easier to
criticize than to create.'"

For some time after this they plodded along hoping to reach camp before
it got entirely dark. Bob was the first to see a distant point of light
through the trees, and he emitted a whoop that startled the others.

CHAPTER XX

ON THE TRAIL

"I can see the lights from the camp!" Bob exclaimed. "Use your eyes,
fellows. A little to the left of us, through the trees."

"Well, it's about time," groaned Jimmy, as they all looked in the
direction indicated. "I was just getting ready to lie down and die
peacefully. I couldn't travel another mile if you paid me for it."

"Oh, buck up, Doughnuts, and get a move on!" exclaimed Bob. "You never
know what you can do until you try. Come on, let's take it on the
double."

He and Joe and Herbert broke into a lively trot, and rather than be left
behind Jimmy overcame his reluctance for further effort, and with much
puffing and blowing and fragmentary complaint managed to hold the pace
until they arrived at the mess house.

Luckily for them, supper had been delayed owing to the failure of some
supplies to arrive on time, and the lumbermen had just started eating
when the radio boys burst in through the door.

The lumbermen stopped eating long enough to welcome their arrival, and
they found their places set as usual.

"Glory be!" exclaimed Jimmy, as he slid into his chair. "If there were a
pie-eating contest on to-night, I could show you fellows some real
class. I feel empty right down to my toes."

"It's lucky we got a head start, Champ," remarked one of the men, with a
grin. "Pass everything down this way, you amateurs. There's a
professional here wants to show us some fancy eating."

By this time Jimmy was too busily occupied to make any answer, and the
other radio boys were also showin