I think I know why this party hung about the camp so long last night,"
Paul remarked, when he looked up; and the others hardly knew whether the
expression on his face stood for amusement or chagrin.

"If it was daytime when he came, I'd think he wanted to get a great
picture of the outfit; but in the night, nixy," remarked Bobolink, who
always had an opinion, one way or the other.

Wallace himself looked puzzled.

"Don't keep us strung up any longer, Paul," he pleaded. "What's your
idea?"

"Put out your hand, then, just back of that bush, and see what you
find," and Paul pointed while speaking to a particular little scrubby
plant that had evidently been partly broken down by the passage of some
heavy object over it.

"A string!" exclaimed Wallace, as he held it up.

"Somebody been flying a kite!" ejaculated the ever resourceful Bobolink.

"Suppose you pull it in," continued Paul.

When Wallace had drawn about eight yards of the stout cord he gave a
grunt.

"Well, what did you strike?" asked Paul, smiling with confidence.

"Why, hang it, if it isn't a fish hook!" cried Wallace.

"Oh! the looney has been fishing here; now, what d'ye think of that?"
exclaimed Bobolink, in apparent glee.

Wallace, however, understood at once. He again looked over the edge.

"But Paul, how could he ever get his line in under that canvas, and
secure any of our grub?" he protested.

"It happened unfortunately that he didn't have to. I can show you marks
here on the ground that plainly outline one of our fine hams," said
Paul, pointing to where he had been so closely examining the ground.

"A ham! Oh! my, oh! me, don't tell me that!" cried Bobolink, making a
gesture of despair; "for we're half through the other one, and it was
_so_ good. How could the villain ever clap hands on our prize; tell me
that, won't you Paul?"

"I know, all right," said Wallace in disgust, "and I guess it was my
fault too. I remember suggesting that it would be a good idea to hang
the second ham from the pole William drove into the face of this little
cliff about seven feet up; and they did it too, the worse luck!"

"Yes," remarked Paul, drily, "and it caught the eye of this fellow,
whoever he was. The temptation must have been too strong for him.
Perhaps he enjoys a joke. Anyhow, he got it, after some little use of
his fishline. We're out a ham, that's plain, fellows."

"Think of snapping a porker's hind leg off a pole," groaned Bobolink,
"and pl