"Oh, we'll all want those," had come from Whopper. "And sleds,
too--for our traps."

"That's right."

"And another shot-gun."

"Yes, and plenty of blankets. It's no fun to camp out in winter if you
can't keep warm."

And so the talk had run on, until the winter outing of the Gun Club
became almost a certainty to them. But there were certain
restrictions, one of which, placed on all of the boys by their
parents, was that they should end the term at school with good
averages in all their lessons.

"You must get at least eighty-five per cent. out of a possible hundred
in all your lessons," said Doctor Reed to Shep, "otherwise you cannot
go," and the other parents said practically the same thing to Snap,
Whopper and Giant. And then the boys pitched in with a will, resolved
to come out ahead, "or know the reason why," as Snap said.




CHAPTER II

A QUARREL IN THE SNOW