"We are going for the fun of camping partly," said Shep. He did
not care to say anything about the picture-taking for his father.
"Do you expect to come out that way?"

"I might."

"If you do you must hunt us up," put in Snap.

"I'll do thet, sure pop," answered Jed Sanborn. He started off,
then turned back. "Oh, I say!" he called.

"What is it?" asked Whopper.

"It's about thet pesky Ham Spink," went on the old hunter. "Did
I tell ye about my spring?"

"No. What of it?" asked Giant.

"Ye know I've got a nice spring o' cold water up by my cabin. Well,
some days ago Ham Spink an' thet Dudder boy came up there, an' on
the sly caved the spring in on me. I caught 'em coming away. I
had my shotgun with me, an' I was mad, good an' proper. I said
they must fix the spring or somebuddy'd git shot. They got scart,
I kin tell ye, an' they got on their hands an' knees in the sand
an' rocks an' mud and worked like beavers till they had the
spring fixed. It jest about ruined their clothes, an' when they
went off they was as mad as hops. Spink said he would square up,
but he's a blower an' I ain't afraid o' him."

"It was just like Ham's meanness, and Carl Dudder's meanness, too,"