not settle it right now?" offered Bob. "Your clothes will dry soon
enough, don't worry about that."

"Yes, I know you'd like nothing better than to see me get pneumonia,"
said Buck. "You wait here till I go home and get dry clothes on, and
I'll come and give you the licking that you deserve."

"That's only a bluff, and you know it," said Bob contemptuously. "But if
any of your friends would like to take your place, why, here I am. How
about you, Lutz?"

But Carl muttered something unintelligible, and backed away. The others
likewise seemed discouraged by the mischance to their leader, for they
turned and followed his retreating form without another word.

"Some sports!" commented Joe.

"Game as a mouse," supplemented Herb.

"That was a swell ducking you gave Buck," chuckled Jimmy. "Just when he
was going to pick on me, too. I owe you something for that, Bob."

"Pay me when you get rich and famous," laughed his friend. "You don't
owe me anything, anyway. It was a pleasure to shove Buck into the lake.
I'm perfectly willing to do it again any time I get the chance."

"Oh, it's my turn next time," said Joe. "I can't let you hog all the
fun, Bob."

"All right," replied his friend. "If we run into him again, I'll leave
him to your tender mercies. But I don't imagine he or his friends will
bother us any more to-day, so why not have lunch?"

"I was thinking the same thing," remarked Jimmy, and they forthwith set
to work to prepare what Jimmy termed a "bang-up lunch."

CHAPTER XVIII

A STARTLING DISCOVERY

The cook had supplied the radio boys with a lavish hand, but their long
walk and the swim had given them ravenous appetites, and by the time
they finished there was little left of the lunch. Even this little was
soon disposed of by the bright-eyed birds that ventured close in pursuit
of the tempting bits. By sitting as still as statues the boys succeeded
in enticing the little fellows almost within arm's length, and derived
no little amusement at the evident struggle between greed and caution.

But soon the last crumb was gone, and after a short rest the lads began
to think of returning to camp. They did not want to go back by the same
road over which they had come, however, so decided to follow the shores
of the lake until they should find some other path. This was, of course,
a roundabout way of getting home, but they had the better part of the
afternoon before them, and were in no particular hurry.