l one and the boys had to laugh as they looked
at it.

Having fastened the boat so that it could not possibly drift away,
the boys boarded their own craft and rowed still farther up Firefly
Lake, until they came to a cove and a creek, the latter thickly
overhung with bushes. They pulled the craft out of sight, so that
to find it without knowing where it was located would be
practically impossible.

"Now, then, to take our things and go into camp for the night,"
said the doctor's son. "We'll have to find some shelter under the
rocks, not having a tent."

The boys knew the locality fairly well, from their previous visits,
and walked to where there was a split in the hills. Here was
located a rocky cliff, hollowed out somewhat at the bottom.

"We can camp here," said Shep. "With a camp fire in front the hollow
will be quite comfortable."

While in the cove they had managed to catch a few perch and a
pickerel, and starting a blaze, they cooked these. They had some
crackers and cheese along, so made a comfortable if not an elaborate
meal, washing it down with a drink from a spring.

"We ought to get to bed early," said Snap. "Then we can start
back for camp at sunrise, and so get ahead of the Spink crowd."

"Oh, they won't go back until they find their boat," said Giant.

"I don't know about that," said the doctor's son. "They may get
mad and lay it to us and start back to-night. You can never tell
what Ham Spink and Carl Dudder will do. Dick Bush isn't quite
so bad."

As it was warm, they allowed the fire to die down, and by nine
o'clock all were sleeping soundly. They did not think it necessary
to stand guard, for the hollow was well screened from outside
observation, and they had all their traps behind them, next to
the cliff.

How long he had been asleep the doctor's son did not know, but
he awoke with a start, feeling something pressing on his breast.
He gave a yell of fright and alarm and added another yell as
he felt his leg pulled. Then a dark body fled from the hollow
and went crashing through the bushes beyond.

"Wha---what's the matter?" came in a stammering voice from Giant.

"Who was that?" demanded Snap as, in the darkness, he felt for
his gun. The fire was practically out, and the hollow was intensely
gloomy.

"I don't know; Ham Spink, maybe," answered the doctor's son, much
bewildered. "He stood on me and pulled my foot," he added.

The boy hunters leaped up, and after some tr