h the forest back of the cabin.

"It's a good deal like hunting for the proverbial needle in a haystack,"
remarked Roger.

"Where did you see the bear last, Phil?" questioned Luke.

"Just about here," was the reply, and the shipowner's son pointed with
his hand. "I think he went in that direction," he added.

The boys spread out in a long, straight line, and in this fashion
proceeded through the forest for the best part of a mile. During that
time they thought they saw a deer in the distance, and Roger might have
taken a shot, but Dave imperatively stopped him.

"We can't shoot at anything if we want to get close to that bear,"
announced our hero. "Bears are very scary creatures, and if you make too
much noise that beast will run for miles and miles before he stops."

Late afternoon found the boys still on the search. They had seen nothing
to shoot at, and some of them were growing disheartened. Luke was
limping slightly, having caught his foot between a crevice in the rocks.

"I move we rest and have something to eat," announced Ben, and this
suggestion was quickly seconded by the others. Then, when the sun was
well down in the west, they decided to turn back toward the bungalows.

It was a tramp of over a mile and a half, and as the footing in many
places was uncertain, they had to proceed with great care.

"Such a hunt!" grumbled Ben. "It's been all hunting and no shooting."

"Which puts me in mind of a story!" cried Shadow. "Oh, this is a short
one, so you needn't frown at it," he went on quickly, glancing around.
"It's about a fellow who came along and saw an old man fishing in a
lake. 'How's fishing?' he asked of the old man. 'Couldn't be better,'
was the answer. 'Catch anything?' 'No.' 'Then what do you mean by saying
the fishing is good?' 'So it is. I didn't say anything about the
catching.'" And at this a grin went around.

"We ought to be getting in sight of the bungalows soon," remarked Roger,
after they had climbed over some rough rocks and were walking through a
dense patch of the forest.

"Say, this is a fine place to get lost in," remarked Phil.

"It will be all right as long as the sunlight lasts," answered Dave. "I
am using that for a compass."

Soon they came to the edge of a clearing, on the other side of which
were a series of rocks with vines and brushwood. The boys were about to
advance across the clearing when suddenly Shadow's arms went up into the
air.

"St--st--stop!" he splutt