ward."

"Won't I?" answered Jack Voss. "A lot of us are going up to Lake
Narsac in a few days, or next week."

"Who?"

"Never mind. We are going and that's enough," answered Jack Voss.
"I ain't afraid of that ghost---or of snakes either," he added.

"There they go!" shouted Joe Bright, enthusiastically. "Hurrah
for the young hunters of the lake!"

"Hurrah!" shouted several and waved their hands and handkerchiefs.

Those in the rowboat waved in return. Then Shep and Whopper bent to
the oars; and the summer outing was begun. Little did the young
hunters realize how many strange adventures were in store for them.

CHAPTER IX

THE FIRST DAY OF THE OUTING

As my old readers know, the distance to Lake Cameron in an air
line was about ten miles, but the river was a winding one and
this added three miles to the journey. Beyond the town the banks
of the stream were lined with farms, orchards and patches of dense
woods, a beautiful outlook and one which the boys thoroughly enjoyed
as they rowed along. They passed Simon Lundy's farm---where they
had once had such a curious happening when after apples, as related
in "_Four Boy Hunters_," and then continued along under the overhanging
branches of some willows, where it was shady and cool.

"Do you think Jack Voss spoke the truth when he said he was going to
Lake Narsac?" queried Shep, after he had turned his oars over to Snap.

"It may be true---although Jack knows how to blow," answered Snap.

"If he goes out it will most likely be with Ham and Carl and that
crowd," put in Whopper. "They always travel together."

"I'd like to know how Ham and Carl feel this morning, cried Giant.

"Most likely pasty," answered the doctor's son, and this made the
others laugh.

"If that crowd should take it into their heads to go to Lake Narsac
I hope they don't camp near us," went on Snap, after a pause.

"They'll try to bother us all they can, you can rest assured, of
that," said Whopper. "They seem to live for nothing else."

"Well, we can give them as good as they send, can't we?" asked Giant.
"I'm not afraid of 'em."

"Of course we're not afraid of them," returned Whopper hastily.

To reach Lake Cameron the young hunters had to take to a side
stream lined on either side with blackberry and elderberry bushes.
They resolved to push on to the lake before stopping for lunch.
Then they would row to the head of the lake, camp there over night,
and the next day