bait around a bit and then felt a sudden tug. Up came his line with a
rush, and out on the ice flopped a pickerel of fair size.

"Hurrah! first haul!" sang out the small member of the Gun Club,
proudly. "Who says we can't catch something?"

After that came another spell of silence and then Whopper gave a yank
on his line. Up came a good sized fish, but as it fell on the ice it
broke loose from the hook and flopped back into the water with a
splash that covered Whopper with the icy drops.

"Oh, hang the luck!" gasped Whopper. "He got away and gave me a shower
bath in the bargain."

"Wish I could get a maskalonge," said Giant. Do you remember the big
one I caught last summer?"

"Indeed I do," answered Whopper. "And I remember how the fish pulled
you overboard and nearly drowned you."

They continued to fish and presently Whopper got another bite and
brought up a good-sized pickerel, of a variety that is known to many
as a lake trout. Then both boys got a second and a third bite, and
inside of an hour had a fair mess of fish to their credit.

In the meantime Snap and Shep remained near the shelter, fixing up a
number of things. Shep made a fresh batch of bread dough and also
prepared a pot of beans and baked a plain cake. He likewise tried his
hand at an apple pie, but the crust was not right, and later on, when
the pie was tested, Whopper said the "lid" might do for a shingle but