pleasure to me, so long as I know my efforts are
appreciated," said Lub, just as they all knew he would.

The flapjacks must have been good, for not a piece of one was left after
the four boys had finished breakfast. And they even had the audacity to
bait Lub on top of it.

"Don't care how soon you repeat that mess, Lub," observed Phil.

"Never tasted their equal," confessed Ethan.

"And as for me," said the wicked X-Ray, "I'll sure dream of the treat
to-night, see if I don't."

Whereupon, of course, Lub set about figuring out just how the little
sack of self-raising flour would hold out, if he made flapjacks every
single morning of their stay in camp.

Lub was a lovable camp mate, and so easily imposed upon. But then his
chums were just as ready to do things for him in turn.

Later on in the morning, seeing that the rival fishermen had started out
again to depopulate the lake, and Lub was busy cleaning up around the
cabin, Phil took a notion to wander off.

He meant to cover quite some little territory this time, his object
being to see if he could catch a glimpse of a deer. Of course he carried
his camera along, because it was always possible that some good chance
might arise where he could use it to advantage.

Phil believed in being ready. He was a hunter, and knew how exasperating
it was to run across tempting game when one's gun had been left at home.

Half an hour later he found himself wandering through a section of woods
that looked very promising. He fancied he caught a sound, and it was of
such a peculiar nature that Phil stopped still to listen.

Yes, it was not the "whiff" of a startled deer or moose, but struck the
astonished boy more like the wailing cry of a distressed child.

CHAPTER X

FINDING A SUNBEAM

At first Phil found it hard to believe he heard aright.

"I've known cats to make sounds like a baby crying, when they were
facing each other, and ready to scrap," he told himself.

The more he listened the stronger grew his conviction.

"Even if it turns out to be a pair of spitting young bobcats," he
concluded, "I'd like to snap 'em off. As to a child, what would one be
doing away up here in this wilderness, unless--by George, now, that
might be it."

He had suddenly remembered how they found the little cap, yes, and a
baby silver thimble in the cabin.

It was no trouble at all to locate the source of the sounds. The sobs
continued as he advanced. In a few minutes Phil