And his still pale face showed that he spoke the truth.

It was several minutes before Whopper felt like sitting up. He was
"all of a tremble," as he expressed it, and standing on his feet was
out of the question.

"You take it easy," ordered Snap. "We'll bring the boat around to
that cove below here and then carry you down."

"Do---don't leave me!" pleaded the hurt one. "That other deer may
come back!"

"No danger," said Giant. "But I'll stay with you, Whopper, while
Snap and Shep get the boat."

It was a good half hour before they had the hurt one and the game
aboard the _Snapper_. Here the doctor's son opened up the medicine
case which his father had insisted he should take along, and Whopper
was given a little stimulant, and the cuts on his cheek and his
shoulder were properly plastered up. He was made comfortable on
some cushions in the stern and told to take it easy.

"I had no idea a deer would fight so fiercely," he said, when the
others had resumed their rowing. "Those hoofs were mighty hard
and sharp, I can tell you!"

By one o'clock the young hunters reached a spot that looked good
enough for a midday camp, and going ashore they lit a fire and
prepared dinner. They made themselves a pot of rich cocoa and of
this Whopper partook freely and it seemed to strengthen him
wonderfully.

"I think we ought to stay here until to-morrow," said Snap. "It
will give Whopper a chance to recover," and so it was decided, and
the tent was gotten out and erected between two small trees which
stood handy.

That night they treated themselves to venison steak, cut from the
doe, and never was deer meat more tender or sweeter. They also
had hot bread, made by Giant in a little stone oven. In the same
oven Snap made a pan of baked beans, which were put away for
future use.

The entire afternoon of the next day was spent in rowing around
Lake Narsac. They did not linger around the north shore, for it
was wild and uninviting, and they had no desire to make the
acquaintance of the snakes said to swarm there. They spent two
hours inspecting a large cove to the westward, and finally concluded
that this spot offered the best place for a permanent camp. There
was a sandy beach, where swimming would be good, plenty of the
right kind of growth for firewood, and from the rocks some distance
back gushed a spring of cold and pure water.

"This is good enough for anybody," said Snap, after a careful
inspection. "