Page:Young Hunters of the Lake.djvu/112

102 "Well, we found out how mean they were last year, so it is nothing new," said Shep. "You were lucky to locate the craft."

"It was all through that boy," returned Whopper. "I pity him if he has Giles Faswig for an uncle."

"I think the best we can do is to leave Lake Cameron at once," said Giant. "We don't want to run into that crowd again."

The others agreed, and by eight o'clock that morning the tent was taken down and stored away and the journey to Firefly Lake was begun.

It was a clear, warm day, with bright sunshine overhead. The woods were full of birds that sang sweetly, and being so near to nature's heart, the young hunters soon forgot their troubles.

The stream leading from Lake Cameron to Firefly Lake was a tortuous and rocky one, and more overgrown with bushes than it had been the summer previous. At one point the spring freshets had rolled in a number of big stones and these the boys had to roll out of the way before the rowboat could get through. Not wishing to damage the Snapper, they proceeded with care, so by dinner time less than half the distance to the smaller body of water was covered.

"We won't get to Firefly Lake until to-night,"