pender straps, pulling
him back.

"You simpleton," expostulated Darry, "are you going to spoil Dick's
reward by letting a chump cook attend to the trout? Dick wants
to cook his trout for himself, but we'll do everything else.
I'll appoint myself to make the coffee for all hands."

Dick soon had a pan full of trout ready for his own plate. As
he seated himself at the table he was fully conscious of how tired
and sore he was from the afternoon of whipping up and down stream
after these handsome, speckled fish, but he was careful not to
admit his fatigue to the others, who, also, were very tired.

Dick had to fry a second pan of trout, eating the last one of
the lot he had caught, ere he found his appetite satisfied.

Then, with only the light of a lantern on the table, the boys
sat about sipping their coffee and feeling supremely contented
with their day of effort and its results.

"There are not so many mosquitoes over here," Tom announced.

"They haven't found us out yet," chuckled Danny Grin. "They will
do so, later."

"I'm ready for bed any time the word comes," confessed Harry Hazelton.

"But, see here, fellows," suggested Dave soberly, "we're now right
in the enemy's country. That is to say, we're on the same side
of the lake with the man of mystery and his companions, if he
has any. I don't doubt that resentful eyes have watched the erecting
of this camp on its present site."

"Sorry to have hurt anyone's feelings," yawned Tom. "Still, I
guess we've as much right here as anyone else."

"But the point is this," Dave went on. "Last night some persons
must have crossed the lake in order to annoy us. To-night we're
on the same side of the lake with them. We'll be much more accessible
to the people who object so strenuously to our presence."

"Where did these unknown people find a boat for crossing the lake?"
queried Reade. "We couldn't find one anywhere until the canoe
was left at our camp."

"Anyone might have a boat or canoe here, and keep it hidden easily
enough when not in use," Dave asserted. "Just as we---have brought
our canoe up here and hidden it in the tent, for instance. Now,
we'll all have to admit that we're extremely likely to have unwelcome
visitors here to-night? Are we going to keep a guard?"

"It might not be a bad idea to keep someone on watch through the
night," Dick suggested.

"I'll stand the first watch trick," proposed Dave. "It need be
only an hour long. I'll d