crowd," put in Whopper. "They always travel together."

"I'd like to know how Ham and Carl feel this morning, cried Giant.

"Most likely pasty," answered the doctor's son, and this made the
others laugh.

"If that crowd should take it into their heads to go to Lake Narsac
I hope they don't camp near us," went on Snap, after a pause.

"They'll try to bother us all they can, you can rest assured, of
that," said Whopper. "They seem to live for nothing else."

"Well, we can give them as good as they send, can't we?" asked Giant.
"I'm not afraid of 'em."

"Of course we're not afraid of them," returned Whopper hastily.

To reach Lake Cameron the young hunters had to take to a side
stream lined on either side with blackberry and elderberry bushes.
They resolved to push on to the lake before stopping for lunch.
Then they would row to the head of the lake, camp there over night,
and the next day strike out for Firefly Lake. Here they would put
in another day, and then embark for Lake Narsac.

They found Lake Cameron and its shores just as beautiful as during
the previous summer. To be sure, the portion that had been burnt
down during the great forest fire looked black and desolate but
only a small portion of this territory was to be seen from the
boat. They passed along the shore opposite and put in at a little