what the ghost had proved to be.

"No. We are going over to Windy Mountains this trip," answered
the doctor's son.

"That far, eh? It's quite a trip. Hope ye find it wuth so long
a journey. I don't know as the game thar is any better nor around
the lakes close to hum."

"We are going for the fun of camping partly," said Shep. He did
not care to say anything about the picture-taking for his father.
"Do you expect to come out that way?"

"I might."

"If you do you must hunt us up," put in Snap.

"I'll do thet, sure pop," answered Jed Sanborn. He started off,
then turned back. "Oh, I say!" he called.

"What is it?" asked Whopper.

"It's about thet pesky Ham Spink," went on the old hunter. "Did
I tell ye about my spring?"

"No. What of it?" asked Giant.

"Ye know I've got a nice spring o' cold water up by my cabin. Well,
some days ago Ham Spink an' thet Dudder boy came up there, an' on
the sly caved the spring in on me. I caught 'em coming away. I
had my shotgun with me, an' I was mad, good an' proper. I said
they must fix the spring or somebuddy'd git shot. They got scart,
I kin tell ye, an' they got on their hands an' knees in the sand
an' rocks an' mud and worked like beavers till they had the
spring fixed. It jest about ruined their clothes, an' when they
went off they was as mad as hops. Spink said he would square up,
but he's a blower an' I ain't afraid o' him."

"It was just like Ham's meanness, and Carl Dudder's meanness, too,"
said Snap.

The new cameras and supplies had come in on Saturday night, and
on Monday morning the boys received a new tent from Dr. Reed, and
a tarpaulin from Mr. Dodge. Mr. Dawson gave the boys some blankets,
and Mrs. Caslette promised to supply them with a hamper of table
delicacies.

"With so many good things we'll have a better time than ever before,"
said Snap.

"Nothing like winding up the summer in good shape," answered the
doctor's son.

The chums went over their boat with care, to make certain that it did
not leak, and then looked over their guns and the rest of their
outfit. On Monday evening everything was taken down to the boathouse
for readiness early Tuesday morning.

"I am glad of one thing," remarked Whopper. "Ham Spink and his
crowd are not on hand to molest our things, as they tried to do
before."

"Well, we gave 'em a warm reception when they did come to the
boathouse," answered Snap with a grin, referring to an event related
i