said Pud, as he luxuriously lay out on his back
floating. "That last carry was some hike. It had all the Plattsburg
full-equipment hikes beaten to death. I'm just going to load my pater
down some day with what I had on my back and then ask him how he would
like to tote that over a young mountain."

"You did very well, Pud," said Mr. Waterman. "I did not notice how much
Jack was piling on you or I would have taken part of it myself."

"Not on your life," said Pud. "I'm here, and that extra sweat I had will
do me good. I told Jack I would switch with him now and then. I did not
realize what a load he had. On the previous carries he walked along just
as if he was out for a little jaunt. He's getting old, too. I don't see
how how he does it."

"They get used to it and know just how to distribute the load so that it
will be carried most easily," said Mr. Waterman.

While the boys were enjoying the water, the guides were busy. Already
they had cut a couple of poles, and with the aid of two trees they had
made a very serviceable fireplace and was getting ready to make
biscuits.

"Hey, you boys," called Mr. Waterman, "get busy. We'll clear up around
here, but you fellows get out and catch us some trout for supper."

"Nothing easier," said Bob, as he came ashore and put on his clothes. In
a little while they were all three out on the lake casting like
veterans. Bob was in one canoe alone while Pud paddled Bill in the other
canoe. In a very short time they had over thirty fine trout, and at a
shout from Jack they came back to camp.

"Well, did you have any luck?" asked Jack, as they came to the shore.

"Bully!" said Bob. "This lake is full of trout as fine as I have ever
seen."

"No wonder," replied Jack. "There is no one here to catch them, and they
keep on increasing."

"Well, I'll reduce the supply if we stay here a few days," said Pud. "I
could eat an ox, let alone a few trout."

"You'll get all you want to eat and then some," said Jack.

The fish were soon cleaned, and twenty minutes later they sat around a
table made of two big logs with birch bark spread over it. It was not
quite so comfortable as in their home camp, where they had a rude bench
to sit on, but not one of them even thought of any such luxuries. They
had had a strenuous day with but a very small lunch, and they were as
hungry as wolves. The way the biscuits, the trout and everything else
disappeared was a tribute to Jack's cooking. Even Pud at