ve tumbled into any sort of trouble. He's spry
enough as a rule, and not built like me."

"No danger of him not letting off a whoop if he ran up against anything
like a rough deal," Ethan ventured.

"Still, no harm done if we stepped down to the edge of the water, and
took a little look around," suggested Phil. "We've none of us paid any
attention to the lake so far, only to take that early morning dip in the
same. It seems to be about a quarter of a mile across to the further
shore, and with lots of bays and nooks, as well as points of land
jutting out like fingers. I'd think it was a splendid piece of water for
trout; and I'm glad I own some land fronting on Lake Surprise."

As they turned in the direction of the edge of the water Lub's eyes were
frequently cast upward toward the rude chimney that surmounted the back
of the cabin wall. Evidently he was endeavoring to figure out just how
he might accomplish the task he had taken upon his shoulders, and
arrange things, so that while the smoke had free access to the open air,
all manner of intruders would be kept out.

When Lub did undertake anything, no matter how simple, he was apt to
throw his whole heart and soul into the accomplishment of the same. To
him it meant that his reputation was at stake; unless he made good his
chums would have the laugh on him for a long time to come.

Ethan happened to be in the lead as they advanced. That may have
accounted for the fact that it was him who brought them to a sudden
standstill by throwing up a warning hand, and exclaiming sharply:

"What's that I hear? Sounds mighty like the drip of a paddle to me!"

"And there's a line moving out from the shore!" added Phil, pointing;
"there's _something_ back of that point, and moving in the water.
Perhaps it may only be an old mother duck with her little brood. No,
there it goes again. Ethan, you're right about it; that's the dip of a
paddle!"

"Whoever's got a canoe up here, they're heading this way, because you
can see from the ripples," Ethan continued, eagerly; for versed in many
of the secrets of woodcraft the boy was quick to notice which way the
successive ripples were moving.

"Watch now, because he's going to push out from behind that tongue of
wooded land!" said Phil, sharply.

All of them stood there as if rooted to the spot. Their eyes were glued
on the point mentioned by Phil, and back of which must be the canoe that
was sending all those ripples forth, away fro