"Those fellows don't know what a joke is," said Shep. "This is
past being funny."

"Wait---Snap will make them toe the mark," answered the smaller
youth. "He said he would do it before he left."

During the afternoon the two boys took the rowboat and also some
lines and a drag-net and rowed over to the vicinity of Humpback Rock,
where the tipping over had occurred.

"You can see how shallow the water is here," said Shep. "We ought
to find at least some of our things."

"Here is where the boat went over," answered Giant, and gazing
down into the water he added:

"And there is one of the guns!"

They hooked the weapon up without a great deal of trouble, and soon
located another gun and then a game-bag. This encouraged them, and
they kept at the task until sundown, finding all the outfit but one
game-bag, which Shep declared of little value, as the strap was
broken.

"This is better luck than I anticipated," said Giant. "Now we must
clean the guns without delay."

The entire evening was spent in overhauling and oiling the guns,
and in drying out the gamebags. They also dressed one of the deer,
hanging up the meat as before. The Spink crowd had taken the
smallest of the game and for this they were to pay regular market
prices.

When Snap and the others got back they brought with them a whole
boat-load of provisions and other things, and were followed by
Jed Sanborn in his canoe. The hunter had agreed to take the deer
to Fairview for them. He was joyful to think they had had such luck.

"Don't need me to show ye how to bring down deer," he observed,
with a grin on his homely face. "You have done prime, boys, prime,
an' I'm proud of ye!"

A portion of the provisions was left at the camp and then Ham
Spink and his crony crossed the lake, while Jed Sanborn remained
with Snap and the others.

"Had to buy a deer from ye, did they?" chuckled Jed Sanborn, when
Spink and Dudder were out of hearing. "They won't never make
no hunters, not if they try a hundred years. I'd starve to death
afore I'd buy meat here, with the woods so full o' things to shoot!"

"I laid down the law good and hard," said Snap. "I don't think
they will give us any more trouble."

"I think Dudder is rather ashamed of himself," said Whopper. "But
Ham Spink is so thick-skinned it doesn't strike through."

"What did they do to the negro?" asked Giant.

"Locked him up for trial."

"Did Pop Lundy get his watch back?" asked Shep.