bass right out here in the garden. Let's hurry up, fellows, and get
busy," he continued, pushing his chair away from the table. "Won't you
go along, Mr. Melton."

"Like to," said their host. "Nothing would suit me better than to pull
in some of the sockdolagers you'll find in that lake. But I've got a
date with a horse dealer to-day, who's coming up to look at some of my
bronchos, and I can't get off. Don't catch them all to-day," he laughed,
"and some day soon I'll go with you. Of course, you'll take your guns
along."

"Why, yes, if you think it necessary," replied Bert. "But we'll be pretty
well loaded with tackle and fish if we have any luck."

"Never mind the load," he adjured emphatically. "Never go into the
mountains without your gun. Of course, you may have no use for it.
Chances are that you won't. But it's a mighty wise thing to have a good
rifle along wherever you go in this country. And if you need it at all,
you'll need it mighty bad and mighty quick."

So that when the boys left the house a half hour later, they took with
them not only all that was necessary to lure the finny prey from their
lurking places, but each as well carried on his shoulder a Winchester
repeating rifle and around his waist a well-stored cartridge belt.

Mr. Melton gave them explicit directions as to the route they were to
follow to find the lake, which lay in the hollow of a broad plateau about
five miles back in the mountains.

"You'll find a canoe hidden in the bushes near a big clump of trees on