that must sweep across the lake when the wind reached a certain
strength.

"Oh! I don't say that, remember," quickly replied the other; "because
it's only a guess on my part, and I haven't anything to show for proof.
I was just giving you the benefit of a bright thought that came into my
brain, that's all. There may be something in it, and again, p'raps them
fellows are just a pleasure party; or some sportsmen heading, for a
favorite fishing place."

"Then if we followed 'em, we'd stand a show to find where the fish lie,"
suggested Bumpus; showing that at least he had not forgotten about his
recent wager, even in the midst of all this excitement.

"Better mind your own business, I think," remarked Allan.

"Yes," added Giraffe, "if so be they turned out to be a bad lot, they'd
think we kept poking our noses in just to arrest them; and in that case
chances are we'd get our fingers burned."

"But what do you think they might be, Thad?" persisted Step Hen,
noticing that the pilot of the expedition had as yet not given any
opinion on the matter.

"Oh! any one of the explanations you fellows have put up might cover the
bill," Thad, went on to say. "The idea came into my mind that perhaps
now those men might be game-fish wardens."

"W-what!" gasped Bumpus; "d'ye mean to tell me they have such things on
a big lake like this? Why, I thought they were only needed ashore,