his
blanket.

Nothing happened to disturb the outdoor chums during the balance of
the night. With the coming of morning they were astir. Breakfast was a
hurried meal. Then they went ashore in detachments, Joe remaining behind
to look after the boat.

Will managed to get a good picture of the trophies, with the two gallant
hunters standing beside the defunct bear and panther. Then, after the
former had been washed, being sticky with the honey, Frank assisted Jerry
to get the skin off. It was here the boys profited by the advice given
by the old trapper, Jesse Wilcox, when they visited him in his camp above
Rocky Creek, which was a feeder to the lake upon which their home town
was located.

Before noon they were all aboard again. Both skins had been secured,
besides the choice portions of the bear meat. Bluff even managed to fill
another kettle with the honey, though stung unmercifully by the angry
bees that were so busily working to transfer their stores to a new home.

After a bite of lunch they started out again on the gulf, since the
conditions invited an afternoon cruise. Frank knew they would find a good
holding place not more than twenty miles further along the shore, and he
aimed to reach it before the coming of night.

It was just four o'clock when they pushed in behind another key and made
their way to the mainland, for here the water was quite deep.

"I move for a camp ashore, for a change," suggested Jerry.

"Second that motion. My back's nearly broken from these hard boards,"
grunted Bluff. "Oh, dear! If we only had our air mattresses along,
Frank!"

"Yes, if we only had!" exclaimed Jerry. "Then you'd soon quit claiming
that you had bigger lungs than I've got. You know I beat you in blowing
up my bag."

"Yes, just once more than I came in winner. Isn't that so, Frank?"

Frank poured oil on the troubled waters, but he and Will winked at each
other, for the joke always amused them.

They erected the tent, and had their jolly campfire, which reminded them
of many in the past. It was, of course, thought a good thing to secure
the boat with chain and padlock, so that no prowling scamp could make off
with it while they slept, for they meant to keep no watch.

Joe found a place on board, as there was no room in the tent. Besides, he
had not a temperament that delighted in such things, and would only too
gladly have always felt sure of having a good roof over him at night.

The four boys were a bit c