their merriment carried to the ears of Will, he must
have been greatly mystified as to the cause of the same.

But Jerry was getting impatient.

"Hurry up, and get to work! It ain't over nice in here, I tell you," he
called; and so the two climbed up the tree to effect his rescue.

Bluff had a coat, so they lowered that by a sleeve, stretching down as
far as possible. Jerry managed to scramble up far enough to lay hold
on the other sleeve, and was, after one or two efforts, assisted to the
opening. He came out looking a bit dilapidated, yet just as determined
as ever to get some of that honey before leaving the vicinity.

The others were not averse to laying in a supply of the same, and
promised to arrange it for the morning, for night was now close at hand,
and nothing could be done looking to an attack upon the bee tree.

They carried the doe down to the water's edge. Jerry had come upon the
animal soon after entering among the trees, and she had startled him
by her sudden jump, so that it took three shots from his rifle to drop
her. Then, as he stood over his game, the buzzing of the bees had
attracted his attention, as the late comers arrived, laden with honey;
and unable to resist the inclination to investigate, he had climbed up,
with the disastrous result as stated.

Bluff and Frank waded out to the motor-boat, allowing Jerry to ferry his
venison in the little dinghy. Will greeted their coming with delight, for
he saw great possibilities for future feasts in the game acquired.

Of course he was wild to hear the story, which was told amid much
merriment all around while they dined off fresh venison steak and
scalloped oysters.

CHAPTER XX

LYING IN AMBUSH FOR BIG GAME

"Nobody lives in that old shack, then?" inquired Will.

"Only when the turtle season is on, which doesn't happen to be now,"
replied Frank.

"I was afraid there might be a bunch of criminals ashore, and that Jerry
had tumbled into a peck of trouble," continued the other.

"Oh, it happened to be only a hollow tree he dropped into," said the hero
of the adventure, who could take a joke even when it happened to be on
himself.

"There it goes again! Just think what beastly luck! I'm a Jonah, that's
what! Oh! why didn't you ask me to go, instead of Bluff, Frank? I could
have snapped him off when he was crawling out of that hole. Just think
what a lovely reminder it would have been in times to come!" wailed Will,
pretending to be