had scraped an ankle on the rocks and this was quite sore. He
said that he was willing to take it quiet for at least a day or
two more.

"We'll have to see about that lion, and about that hermit," declared
Shep. "Supposing we leave you and Tommy in camp this time, and take
Giant along?"

"All right," said Whopper.

"Do you think you can manage---if the Spink tribe come to bother
you?" asked Snap.

"I think so---unless they come at night."

"You'll have to risk that."

"Wags will watch out at night," said Tommy. "He's better as a watch
dog at night than he is in the daytime."

It was decided that the boys should try first to find out if the
lion had been trapped. Then they were to journey to the lonely
cabin in the woods. Not knowing how long they would be away. They
took with them a fair stock of provisions and also a good supply
of matches. They also took new films and plates for their cameras.
Fortunately, in spite of the rather rough experiences of the boys,
none of the picture-taking machines had been damaged, beyond having
the leather covers scratched, and this did not matter.

"They don't look so well," said Shep. "But they'll do the work,
and that's what we want."

The doctor's son, with Snap and Giant, started early on the following
morning. Giant was glad to get away from the camp once more, and
whistled a merry tune as they hurried along. They cut around the
Spink camp, not wishing to meet their enemies.

"No use of letting them know we are gone," said Snap. "If they
did, they'd be sure to go and bother Whopper and Tommy at once---and
two couldn't do much against that whole crowd."

Snap and Shep had fixed the direction well in their mind and studied
the position of the sun, so that they might not go astray. Having
left the Spink camp behind them, the three boys struck out in a bee
line for the spot where they had left the pit with the dead wildcats
as bait. They made good progress, and stopped less than half an
hour for lunch at midday.

"We ought to reach there before nightfall," said the doctor's son.
"That is, unless we get turned around again."

"I think we are going straight," answered Snap. "But it may be
farther than you think."

While tramping along they scared up several rabbits, and Giant
brought down one of these. But game appeared to be scarce and
nothing else came to view.

It was just five o'clock when they reached a clearing that looked
familiar to Snap and S