ound the fire.

"Not very long," said Mr. Waterman. "Let's go over and see if we can
hurry things along."

"All right," said Pud. "Just give me a minute to slip into my clothes."

Mr. Waterman went over to the fire and he was joined there in a few
minutes by all three boys. They were set at peeling potatoes and onions,
for Joe had three partridges the previous day and they were going to
have a stew. The boys' task was soon through and it was not long until
the smell of the partridge stew and the fresh trout on the fire fairly
made the boys' mouths water. They soon set the table and then went off
to try and get a look at a woodpecker they heard hammering away in the
woods. They had just gotten under the big old tree on which the
woodpecker was busy and were watching his diligent operations when they
heard a welcome call and they broke for the camp. They arrived with Pud
bringing up the rear, puffing and blowing. They then sat down to what
all the boys afterwards stated seemed to them the best meal they had
ever tasted. Partridge stew, fresh trout, hot bread cooked in an oven
that stood before the fire and caught the heat in that way, plenty of
tea and a dessert of stewed apricots formed the menu. It was indeed a
merry party that sat around the table with Mr. Waterman at the head.
The guides were the waiters and they were kept busy bringing the trout
hot and sizzling from the fire to the table.

"I take it all back," said Bill Williams, "I said I didn't like fish. I
meant the kind we get in the city. But--this trout is fit for the gods.
It is certainly good."

"You're right," said Pud. "I didn't think that any fish could taste so
good."

"My sentiments, too," said Bob, "and as for this partridge stew, there's
only one thing the matter with it and that there isn't enough of it."

"That's something we don't have every day, but we have the fish always
and we never get tired of it," said Mr. Anderson.

At last, filled to repletion, they leaned back and began a general
conversation.

"I know one thing," said Pud, with a sigh.

"What's that?" asked Bill.

"I'll never take off any weight here. I've just eaten enough to feed a
family."

"Don't worry," said Mr. Waterman. "You'll need all the food you get when
you're carrying a canoe across some of the portages we'll be on this
summer."

"We'll take it easy for an hour, and then let us all get busy and get
out balsam boughs for our beds. Mr. Waterman and I have a p