of the water from view.

Giles Faswig strode up to the two young hunters and caught Snap by
the arm. The next instant the hand was shaken off violently and the
youth stood before the man with blazing eyes and doubled-up fists.

"Don't you try that again, Mr. Faswig," said Snap, in a cold,
measured voice. "You have no right to touch me."

"And you have no right in this camp."

"You clear out!" came from Andrew Felps. "I don't want you around
another minute."

Faswig stepped in front of the boys and so did Felps and Lemon. All
three of the men looked ugly, and Snap and Whopper did not know what
to do.

"Mr. Felps," began Snap, after a painful pause, "I want you to listen
to what I have to say. Last night our rowboat with our outfit on
board disappeared. I don't know if it drifted off or was stolen.
If it was stolen, and we find it out, somebody is going to be
arrested for the theft."

"Ha! do you call me a thief!" burst out the lumber dealer, in a rage.

"Not at all I am only telling you a few plain facts. We have every
reason to believe our boat is somewhere around this camp. If it
is I want to know if you are going to give it up peaceably, or if
we'll have to send down to town for an officer of the law?

"You---you---" commenced Andrew Felps, and then looked at Giles
Faswig, who had turned slightly pale.

"This may not be a serious business to you but it is to us," continued
Snap. "There are four of us in our party, and if you have our boat,
we can all testify to that fact. Three of us can stay here and watch
you while the fourth goes for the officer."

"Do you think we'd steal a measly rowboat?" asked Vance Lemon, but
he glanced at Faswig as he spoke, and his tone was an uneasy one.

"I don't know what you'd do. But that boy, said something about
bringing in a boat last night, and I want to know if it is our boat."

"How do I know whose boat it is?" growled Giles Faswig.

"Has it got the name _Snapper_ on it?" asked Whopper.

"I didn't notice. I saw a boat drifting on the lake and hauled it
in, that's all," answered Giles Faswig, curtly. "For all I know,
you are trying to get somebody else's property away from me."

"You let us see that boat, and we'll soon tell you if it is ours or
not," said Snap.

"I was out on the shore last night and I saw something drifting by
and drew it in," explained Giles Faswig. "I hauled it back of
yonder bushes. If you can prove it is your property you c