nd frying-pan full of onions, so
permeated the surrounding atmosphere that had any of the Lasher crowd
been hiding in the vicinity they must have suffered tortures in the
thought that they were debarred from that glorious outdoor feast around
the first campfire.

"Look there!" said Jerry, quietly, pointing as he spoke.

"It's a little chipmunk come to find out what all this row is about
here," remarked Frank, tossing a piece of bread toward the cunning
animal. "If you don't do anything to frighten them away we can have a
lot of such friendly creatures hanging around the camp all the time."

"Then, for goodness' sake, chain up that annihilator of Bluff's before he
gets it working overtime. Looks as if he had an eye on it just now, for
game is game to the pot hunter, no matter how he gets it, or what it
happens to be," growled Jerry, scowling in the direction of the other,
who only grinned in reply.

"Supper am ready, gemmen. Kindly draw yer seats 'round de table,"
announced the tow-headed cook at this juncture; and in the eagerness
to appease their keen hunger everything else was forgotten for the
time being.

Two collapsible tables had been brought along, and these were placed
under the raised fly of one of the tents, so that the warmth of the open
fire could be enjoyed; but the whole supper had not been cooked after the
old fashion, for Frank had a little outfit that burned kerosene, making
its own blue flame, and which the other boys declared to be the finest
thing of the kind they had ever seen.

A set of aluminum ware went with it, the kettles nesting in each other;
there were cups, dishes, knives, forks and spoons for four persons;
besides, Frank had added a lot of kitchen things from the house, so that
they were amply supplied.

The supper was almost finished when something crashed through the
branches of a tree and fell at Frank's feet.

"What's that?" exclaimed the boy.

Crash! came another object. It landed on a platter and bounded off into
Bluff's lap.

"A rock! Somebody is throwing rocks at us!" cried Will, starting to
scramble to his feet in wild excitement.

"It must be one of that Lasher crowd," ejaculated Jerry; "come on, boys,
and let's get hold of the fellow!"

CHAPTER VI

BLUFF MEETS WITH A LOSS

The wildest excitement ensued.

Jerry met with a mishap right in the beginning of the hunt, falling over
the long box in which much of their camp material had been carried.

It ha