d their hand at baking
some cake, but this was a little burned. Yet the boys ate it and
declared it was all right. At home it might have been different,
but when one is out in the woods, and doing one's own cooking---well,
there is no use in finding fault, that's all.

Whopper and Tommy listened with interest to what the others had to
tell about the Spink crowd and about the midnight visitor. They
laughed heartily over what had been done to the rowboat, and were
serious over the loss of Shep's watch.

"I'd be afraid to meet that wild man," said Tommy. "Why, there is
no telling what he would do if he was cornered."

"That is true," answered Shep. "Of course we can take our guns,
but I'd hate to shoot anybody, even if it seemed necessary."

"Maybe he'll give in if we point our guns at him," suggested Whopper.
"But I hardly think so. He may be as crazy as they make 'em and
afraid of nothing."

"Well, I'll think it over," answered the doctor's son thoughtfully.
He did not wish to expose his chums to danger, nor did he wish to
get into trouble himself. Yet he felt the loss of the timepiece
keenly.

The young hunters looked for a visit from the Spink crowd the next
day, but it did not come. Instead, it rained, and they had to keep
in the tent most of the time. But it cleared during the night, and
the days to follow were ideal.

Sunday passed, and on Monday Shep, Snap and Whopper went out on
a hunt, leaving Giant and Tommy in charge of the camp. Giant
declared he was going to take and develop some photographs, using
a daylight tank instead of a dark room for the latter process.
It had been decided that some of the party should visit the lonely
cabin in the woods later in the week.

The boys had seen some traces of wild beasts up the mountain side,
and thither they directed their steps, keeping their eyes and ears
on the alert as they proceeded. They had scarcely covered a quarter
of a mile when they came upon the mutilated remains of a mink.

"Hello! what do you make of this?" cried Snap as he pointed it out.

"A mink, and some other wild beast killed it," said Whopper.

"Do you suppose it was a bear?" asked Snap.

"No; most likely a wildcat, or a big fox or wolf."

"Let's go after 'em!"

"They are no good for game---and that is what we are after."

"We might get some good photographs."

"That's so---I never thought of that!"

Filled with the idea of taking some pictures that might prove of
va