Page:Young Hunters of the Lake.djvu/119

Rh build a fire in the open. While Whopper and Giant prepared a substantial supper Snap and Shep put up the tent, on a bit of high ground. Around the tent they dug a small trench, to carry off the water, should it storm.

"We want to make sure that our boat doesn't get away from us again to-night," said Whopper.

"Here is a cove—we can haul her up in that," said Snap, and this was done, and the craft was tied fast to two trees.

Having had but little sleep the night before, all the young hunters were tired out, and it was not long after getting supper that they crawled into the tent and went to sleep. On account of the wind they did not dare to leave the campfire burning, for they knew only too well how easy it is to set a forest on fire through such carelessness.

At about two o'clock in the morning Giant awoke, to find the rain coming down steadily on the tent. He crawled to the front of the shelter and looked out. All was pitch dark, and, somehow, the prospect made him shiver. The wind had gone down, and only the fall of the rain broke the stillness.

"This is lonely enough for anybody, I guess," he mused, and crawled back to his corner. "Shouldn't wonder if we have to stay in camp