a little hill,
covered with dewberries, and having cleared a spot, they erected
their tent and built a campfire.

"If Mr. S. Hooper is around he may chase us away," said Snap. "But
we'll take the chance of his not being in this vicinity."

The swamp was full of flies and mosquitoes, and they were glad
enough to keep near the fire, to get rid of the pests. After the
cooking was done they built a smudge, of wet reeds, and this helped
to keep the insects away. But it was not a cheerful spot and when
the boys went to bed all felt depressed.

Snap was the first up in the morning, and while he was getting
breakfast ready, Giant took his shotgun and went off in quest of game.

"There ought to be plenty of wild fowl around a swamp like this,"
said the small member of the club. "I am going to see what I can
bring down before we leave."

"If you bring down much you'll have Mr. S. Hooper in your wool,"
answered Snap.

"I don't believe he is around. And, another thing, I didn't see any
fences."

"Nor I. I guess you are safe in bringing down whatever you can
hit. But don't stay out too long."

Giant walked to the other side of the little hill and then along a
cove of the big swamp. Far ahead he saw some birds, resting close
to the water's edge. He felt they might be quail or perhaps some
wild turkeys.

The ground was anything but firm, and Giant soon had to leap from
one dry patch to another. He was half tempted to turn back, but now
he was almost within gun-shot of the game and he hated to give up
the quest.

"I'll go back a bit from the water and come around on the other
side," he reasoned. Then he took to another course, only to find,
presently, that it was worse than the first. He was now between
clumps of reeds, and almost before he knew it one of the clumps
turned over on him, sending him into the water and mud up to his
knees.

"Gracious! this won't do!" he muttered, and tried to turn back.
He found the water and mud very treacherous, and in a few seconds
he went down again, this time to his waist. His feet were in the
mud so firmly that he could scarcely budge them. He let out a cry
for help. Then the mud below the surface commenced to sink, and
in a few minutes poor Giant was up to his armpits. What to do he
did not know, and it looked as if he would surely be drowned.

CHAPTER XVI

THE RESCUE OF GIANT

Snap had the breakfast well underway when Shep came out of the tent.

"He