ods at any time; and they voted the cooks a great
success.

"We'd be happy to have you with us always, when the camping fever came
along," Bandy-legs informed them, as he came in for his third helping;
"though of course that would be impossible, because we sometimes get
away off out of touch with everything, and girls couldn't stand what we
put up with. Besides, I don't believe your folks would let you try it.
So we'll always have, to remember this time when we get our grits
burned, or, something else goes wrong, as it nearly always does when
I'm trying to play _chef_."

After the meal was over they held a council of war to decide upon their
next move. It seemed folly to stay there doing nothing to better their
condition; and that sort of thing did not correspond with the habits of
Max, who believed in getting out and hustling for business, rather than
wait for it to come to him.

"We'll get our stuff together, such as we might need in case we do have
to stay another night in the forest," he told them in conclusion, when
every one had been heard, and it was decided to make a start; "and then
head in a certain direction that I told Steve I thought would take him
to a road marked on my rough map. If we're real lucky we may even meet
Steve headed for this place, with some sort of vehicle that will carry
the whole crowd."

No one appeared very enthusiastic, for truth to tell it was not at all
unpleasant camping in this way; and only for the fact that they knew
their folks would surely be dreadfully worried concerning them the
girls secretly confessed to one another that they might have wished the
experience to be indefinitely prolonged.

"I'll never forget that cute little shelter," Mazie told Max, as they
found themselves about ready to say good-bye to their night's
encampment; "and although we did have a bad scare when those two tramps
came around, I think I slept almost as well as I should have done at my
own home. That's because we all felt such confidence in our guardians.
Now, don't get conceited, and believe we think you're perfect, because
boys have lots of faults, the same as girls."

"I wonder what became of those two poor fellows?" mused Bessie, who
still believed that the men were just ordinary, lazy, good-for-nothing
hoboes, with a dislike for hard work, and resting under the conviction
that the world owed them a living; for the boys had decided that there
was no use telling them about the broken han