flash required to take the
picture.

"There!" he said finally, after working for at least fifteen minutes,
"everything is arranged to a dot, and we can start back home. If Mr.
Bear comes nosing around here to-night, and starts to get that
honeycomb, I reckon he'll hand me over something in return in the
shape of a photograph."

"Here's hoping you'll get the best picture ever, Paul!" said Jud,
earnestly, for he had been deeply impressed with the clever manner in
which the photographer went about his duties.

They had gone almost a third of the way over the back trail when a
thrilling sound came to their ears almost directly in the path they
were following. Both boys came to a sudden halt, and as Jud started to
raise his gun he exclaimed:

"Unless I miss my guess, Paul, that was one of the bobcats Tolly Tip
told us about."

CHAPTER XXII

WAYLAID IN THE TIMBER

"Stand perfectly still, Jud," cried Paul, hastily, fearful that his
impulsive companion might be tempted to do something careless.

"But if he starts to jump at us I ought to try to riddle him, Paul,
don't you think?" pleaded the other, as he drew both hammers of his
gun back.

Paul carried a camp hatchet, which he had made use of to fashion the
approach to the trap. This he drew back menacingly, while gripping the
lantern in his left hand.

"Of course, you can, if it comes to a fight, Jud," he answered, "but
the cat may not mean to attack us after all. They're most vicious when
they have young kits near by, and this isn't the time of year for
that."

"Huh! Tolly Tip told me there was an unusual lot of these fellows
around here this season, and mighty bold at that," Jud remarked,
drily, as he searched the vicinity for some sign of a creeping form at
which he could fire.

"Yes, I suppose the early coming of winter has made them extra
hungry," admitted the scout-master; "though there seems to be plenty
of game for them to catch in the way of rabbits, partridges and gray
squirrels."

"Well, do we go on again, Paul, or are you thinking of camping here
for the rest of the night?" demanded Jud, impatiently.

"Oh! we'll keep moving toward the home camp," Jud was informed. "But
watch out every second of the time. That chap may be lying in a crotch
of a tree, meaning to drop down on us."

A minute later, as they were moving slowly and cautiously along, Jud
gave utterance to a low hiss.

"I see the rascal, Paul!" he said excitedly.

"Wait a