seemed to be in the best of spirits, as if something had happened
to please them greatly.

Between the campfire and the lake a large tent had been erected.
Near the tent, on the ground, lay portions of a camping outfit,
and Snap wondered if it could be the things belonging to himself
and his friends.

Suddenly the idea struck Snap to take a look at what might be
near the water, and he moved in that direction. He had to pass
through a fringe of brushwood and then he gained a tiny cove,
well screened from the lake proper by a number of overhanging
trees. Here it was so dark he could see but little. He felt
his way along and soon reached a fair-sized boat, tied to a tree.

The craft was not the one belonging to his party and he was a
trifle disappointed. Then he saw another boat and his heart gave
a bound.

"It must be the _Snapper_!" he murmured and hurried to the second
craft. But this proved to be nothing but a canoe, and again his
heart sank.

"Maybe we've made a mistake after all," he thought dismally, but
continued to move around the cove. To reach one point he had
to push through some more bushes, and in the midst of these he
fairly tumbled over a third boat, piled high with various camping
things. He gave a close look and almost uttered a cry of triumph.

"Our boat, and all of our things! Here's luck at last!"