connection with that shriek, which he would fire at Max, and demand an
answer. When Steve tried to make fun of him for harping on that old
string so long, the other immediately took up arms in his own defense.

"Huh! it's easy enough for you to act like that, Steve," he remarked
once, when the other gave him a jeering laugh; "because if we had to
make a bolt for it, you've got running legs, and could put out at a
whoopin' lick; but how about poor me? Wouldn't I get left behind, and
that'd mean make a meal for the big woods cat? Guess I've got more at
stake than any of the rest."

But taking it all in all, that first evening spent around the camp fire
on Catamount Island was rather enjoyable. Old recollections of other
days came cropping up from time to time, and were mentioned, to be
commented on. And never before had a blazing fire seemed more delightful
than just then. It is always so with those who go out into the
wilderness to get close to Nature; the new experience has charms that no
other could quite possess.

After a time, however, some of the boys began to yawn at a great rate,
as though getting sleepy. None of them had slept any too well on the
preceding night, simply because of the excitement they were laboring
over, with a week of outing before them.

"Move we get ready to turn in!" suggested Max, finally, when he began to
fear lest Bandy-legs in particular would dislocate his jaws, and bring
down a new catastrophe on their heads.

"When we drew lots for tents, it turned out that Steve, Bandy-legs and
myself were to bunk in this big tent, while Max and Toby, taking a lot