keep off the heavy dew. They stirred up the campfire still more,
and each provided himself with a firebrand as a torch.

"This is the worst luck yet," observed the doctor's son, with
something like a groan. "Supposing we can't get our boat and
outfit back---"

"Oh, we've got to get 'em back!" burst out Whopper. "We'll do it if
we have to scrape the lake with a fine-tooth comb."

"I wish it was morning---we can't see much in the dark, even with
the torches," said Shep.

Giant was examining the shore, for the possible discovery of strange
footprints. But he could discover none that looked different
from their own.

"If I was an Indian I might distinguish them, but to me they all
look alike," he said.

What to do next the young hunters did not know. Had they had
a second boat they might have rowed up and down the lake, but
even this move was denied to them.

"Let us go up and down the shore on foot," suggested Snap. "It
is all out of the question to go back to bed---I couldn't sleep
a wink."

It was decided that Shep and Snap should go north while Whopper and
Giant went south. All procured new torches, and each took along