ted to leak a little, but not enough to
cause anxiety.

Noon found them encamped on a point of land where the stream appeared
to divide into two parts, one running to the northeast and the other
to the northwest. Which branch to take to get to Lake Narsac they did
not know.

"This is a fine how-do-you-do!" was Whopper's comment. "I wish we
had questioned Jed Sanborn about it."

"From what I thought he said I imagined there was but one stream
leading to the lake," said the doctor's son.

"Perhaps there is, Shep; but which is the one?"

"Don't ask me. One looks as good as the other."

"On the map Lake Narsac is to the northwest of Firefly Lake," came
from Giant. "Consequently I should say that we ought to take the
stream flowing in that direction."

"That sounds reasonable," answered Snap, and the others nodded.

Coming along the watercourse they had managed to shoot several
quail, of the sort known by many as partridge, and also some other
birds. Shep had likewise brought down two squirrels. They had
scared up several rabbits, but these had gotten away in the underbrush.

"Let us take a good rest before we go further," said Shep, while he
was eating. "There is no use of our killing ourselves with rowing
when we are only out for fun."

The others agreed, and as a consequence they took a nap after the
meal and did not get started again until three o'clock.

They soon found the stream they were on broad but shallow, and
felt sure it would lead to the lake. They kept on steadily until
six o'clock, and then came to a halt at a point where the watercourse
narrowed and ran between a series of jagged rocks.

"We ought to be getting to the lake pretty soon," was Snap's comment.
"Jed Sanborn told me we could make the trip from Firefly Lake in a
day if we didn't fool along the way."

"Well, don't forget that we stopped for a nap," answered Whopper.
"Perhaps we'll get there before it gets dark."

Having passed the rocks, they found the stream broadening out once
more. The bottom was now muddy, and here and there grew large clumps
of reeds and cattails.

"This seems to be more of a swamp than a lake," was the comment of
the doctor's son. "From what Jed Sanborn said I thought it was a
narrow stream all the way to the lake."

"So did I," added Giant. "I begin to feel that we have made a
mistake."

"If we have, you're to blame," grumbled Whopper.

"Oh, you were willing enough to come this direction," a