his affair," Toby went on
to say, although he looked a bit disappointed, because with noon still
an hour away it would be a terribly long time until they had seen the
sun go down, and eaten their evening meal.

"I think it would be best not to get him excited in the bargain,"
advised Jack. "It's going to be a great surprise to Steve, too, because
he hasn't been as keen as you on the scent, and is more in the dark."

"And seeing this monster bass will be all the excitement he can stand at
a time," chuckled Toby, beginning to make the best of the situation, for
he was usually an easy fellow to get along with, and Jack knew how to
handle him splendidly.

They started off again, but not before Jack carefully concealed the
tracks they had made. This he did to prevent the man from making a
discovery should he again visit the spot, which he was very likely to
do, since it would naturally have a species of fascination for him
henceforth.

It was difficult for Toby to talk on any other subject while his mind
was filled with the strange actions of the man who seemed to resent
their presence in the neighborhood. Therefore he had little to say on
the balance of the way back to camp, though Jack knew he must be doing
considerable thinking, that would cover every angle of the case.

Of course Steve was delighted when he saw the monster bass. He admired
it from every angle; though Toby took particular notice that Steve
seemed more interested in the glorious dish it would make when cooked
than in the great fight it had put up when at the end of Jack's line.

"Do you know I was just hoping you'd fetch such a dandy fish home with
you," he went on to say, delightedly; "because I've made all
arrangements to bake it in an oven of my own manufacture. I've dug a
hole in the hard clay here, and when we've had lunch I mean to heat it
furiously with red embers. Then I'll wrap that fish in a wet cloth and
lay it inside, after which my oven will be sealed over to keep the heat
in for hours. That's the old hunter's oven, and they do say it is the
originator of all these new-fangled fireless cookers, as well as the
Thermos bottles that keep things hot or cold for a whole day."

"Good boy, Steve!" cried Toby, slapping the big chum on the back
affectionately. "You've got a head on you after all, sure you have."

Steve looked as though he considered this a dubious compliment, since it
seemed to imply that Toby must have at times doubted the tru