Snap and his chums
started for the boat, which was close at hand.

"You can have this boat as soon as the wind lets up," said Giant.

"And what of the deer?"

"You can take the smallest," said Snap. "But mind, don't touch the
others, or it will be the worse for you!" he added, sternly.

It was dark and blowing a full gale when the four young hunters
embarked. They realized that the journey to their camp would be a
perilous one, and wished that the other crowd was more friendly, so
that they could remain with them all night. But they had not been
asked to stay and were too proud to mention it.

"Phew! but this is a sockdollager!" was Whopper's comment. "Blowing
about two thousand miles an hour, I guess. I hope it doesn't send
us to the bottom."

"Don't be so cheerful," said Shep. "Boys, we have got to do some
nice work with the oars, or else ship a lot of water," he added,
gazing out on the black and angry lake.

"Well, come on," said Giant. "The sooner we get at it the sooner we'll
be on the other side."

All took their places at the oars, and a few strokes sufficed to send
them well out into Firefly Lake. Here they felt the full force of
the breeze, and in a twinkling Shep's cap was blown from his head.

"My cap!"

"Here it is," answered Snap, passing it over. "Say, boys, this is a
corker sure! Can anybody see ahead?"

"I can see a little," said Whopper. "But not a great deal."

They rowed on, bending low to escape the fury of the wind. The
rowboat rocked violently, and every time she went down some water
came in over the gunwale.

"Let us move down the lake," suggested Shep. "We can't go straight
across. We can come up again on the other shore---if the wind will
let us."

Presently they reckoned that they had reached the middle of the lake
and here all was very dark. They ceased rowing in order to get their
bearings.

"I am a little twisted," said Snap. "Can we be in the vicinity of
Humpback Rock?"

"Perhaps we are," answered one of the others.

Again they took up the oars. The wind tore along at a frightful
rate of speed and the water was a mass of whitecaps.

"I think-----" began Giant, when there came a sudden thump. The
rowboat had struck the mass of rocks just mentioned, lying near
the center of the lake. The craft tipped over and into the lake
went the four young hunters, with a loud splash.

As Snap went down he felt Shep on top of him. Then they clasped
hands and