an take
it, but not otherwise."

"We'll soon find out," answered Snap, and walked over in the direction
pointed out. As he did this, Whopper put his little fingers in the
corners of his mouth and gave a piercing whistle.

"What's that for?" demanded Andrew Faswig, in alarm.

"We want our crowd down here---and some others," said Whopper.

"Some others? Who?" asked Faswig, and now he was also alarmed.

"Some folks who will give us all the help we want," said Snap, quick
to understand the ruse his chum was playing.

"How many people are up here?" asked the rich lumber dealer, nervously.

"Oh, seven or eight," answered Whopper, but did not add that he was
counting in Felps's own party.

Behind a thick mass of brushwood rested the _Snapper_, as the boys'
craft had been christened. The boat was very much as the lads had
left it, but Snap was quick to detect that the painter, which had
before had a frayed-out end, had been cut by some sharp instrument,
probably a knife.

"This is our boat," said Snap, as he looked the craft over.

"Humph, can you prove it?" growled Giles Faswig.

"Yes, and I can prove more if I have to," added the leader of the
hunting club.

"What?"

"That the rope has been cut."

"What does that signify?" asked Andrew Felps.

"It shows that the boat didn't drift away. Somebody cut the rope and
made off with her."

"See here---" began Giles Faswig, and then stopped short. There was
a shout, and Giant and Shep burst into view.

"Got the boat, eh?" cried the doctor's son. "Good!" And then he
looked curiously at the men, and so did Giant.

"Come on and shove the boat out," said Snap. "We'll talk this over
later." And before anybody could stop him he was in the craft and
pushing out of the bushes.

"Say look here---" began Andrew Felps, but the boys paid no attention.
All got on board the _Snapper_, and in a moment more the craft was
out in the middle of the cove.

"Don't you try to make any trouble for me!" shouted Giles Faswig.
"I simply found that boat adrift and brought her in here for safety."

"And I don't believe a word you say," answered Snap. "I think you
visited our camp and stole the boat."

"And that is what I think," added Whopper.

A wordy war followed lasting fully ten minutes. It was plainly
to be seen that Giles Faswig and his companions were much disturbed,
thinking the boys would make trouble for them. At last the young
hunters rowed away and went back t