e than once. You know I went with
him for a time."

"He wanted to join our Rod, Gun and Camera Club, but the black ball
dished his chances. Perhaps Herman was mad about that; perhaps he even
followed us up here, and has tried to get even," suggested Will.

"That's hard to believe, for he isn't the bad fellow some people say. A
little wild, but with a good heart. I'd rather believe he lost it, and
one of that crowd picked it up," said Bluff, sturdily.

"That's just like you, Bluff, standing up for a friend. Well, I'm rather
inclined to believe the same way. Anyhow, it was a mighty mean dodge. If
that Andy Lasher keeps on he'll get in a peck of trouble sooner or later.
Why, for such a thing as this he deserves a peppering of shot at a
distance," said Frank, indignantly.

"It was criminal, that's what. We might have been smothered in our beds,"
remarked Bluff.

"Or my camera might have been utterly destroyed," wailed Will.

Old Toby said nothing, but he cast many an anxious look around at the
adjacent trees, as if he had an idea lingering under his woolly pate that
in some way or other this new disaster might have a connection with the
shooting of the wildcat.

Things assumed a normal aspect after a while, and only for the scent of
burnt leaves no one would dream that the camp had come near destruction.

But all the inmates of Kamp Kill Kare slept, so to speak, "with one eye
open" during the balance of that night.

There was no further alarm.

By the time breakfast had been disposed of they could look the matter
calmly in the face, and it no longer appeared in such a terrible aspect
as when they were scampering around in their pajamas fighting the flames
and smoke.

The sun seemed unusually warm this morning, so Will declared that he
meant to tramp over to the lake and try a little fishing, since they
would have small opportunity to do any of this when the cold winds
came again.

"I'm on too," remarked Bluff, moodily; "a fellow without a gun is like a
fifth wheel to a wagon, useless in camp. Let's make up some lunch, for
it's a long tramp, and we won't come home until late."

Jerry announced that he wanted to go over and have a further talk with
Jesse Wilcox; after which he might take a tramp in a new region
advised by the old trapper as opening a possible chance for big
game--perhaps a deer.

Frank declared he would stick to the camp; with such vicious characters
around, he secretly thought it hardly saf