he quietly prowled about the
camp, until he came on the body of the bobcat where Garry had hidden
it. Instantly the light broke, and he made a dash for Garry, knocking
him over and getting astride of him. Then Dick proceeded to tickle his
ribs vigorously.

"Try to string me, will you? Holler nuff and say you're sorry you made
fun of an innocent, trusting person like myself. Holler nuff."

"Hey, Phil, pull this wildman off me," gasped Garry between gasps of
laughter, both at the tickling and at the recollection of the joke that
had been played on the fat boy.

But Phil was rolling on the ground laughing until the tears ran down his
cheeks. Both he and Garry had held in as long as it was possible, and
now they were making up for lost time.

Dick at last tired of pummeling Garry, and soon he joined in the
laughter, for the joke was undeniably on him.

While they were laughing, along came Dud the gum hunter, bearing a
chicken with him.

"Here, boys, thought you might like a bit of chicken, and that'll help
make up for the bacon and flour of yours that I used yesterday."

The boys thanked him heartily, and then Garry asked if he knew anyone in
that region that could stuff a bobcat, explaining how he had shot one
the night before. Dud asked to see the animal, and then exclaimed, his
eyes popping:

"Bobcat? Why, boy alive. That's the biggest, finest specimen of Canada
Lynx I have even seen. It's one of the most savage animals to be found
in the whole North Woods!"

CHAPTER X.

A SIGNAL OF DISTRESS.

"A Canada lynx!" ejaculated Garry. "Why, I thought they were to be found
only in the wilds of Northern Canada."

"That's what a good many people think, but they can be found almost
anywhere in the northern tier of this country. A friend of mine a couple
of years ago shot one on the banks of Lake Champlain barely a mile
outside the city of Plattsburg. I don't ever recollect seeing one as
fine or as big as that one of yours. If you'd like, I'll stuff it and
mount it for you."

"That is more than I dared hope," said Garry. "I didn't know whether I
could find a taxidermist up here or not."

"You'll find that a good many old woodsmen are pretty skillful at it,
especially those who hire out as guides in the deer season," replied
Dud. "I mounted a fine deer head for a hunter from New York last year,
and he said it was a better job than was done by one of the high-priced
animal men in that city. But there's some