cried Whopper. "There goes my cap!" And he made a dash
after the whirling headgear, catching it just as it was sailing
for the lake.

A moment later came a gust of wind that almost lifted them from
their feet. The trees of the forest were bent lower than ever,
and amid the whistling of the tornado came a crack like that of
a big pistol.

"Look out for the tree-top!" yelled Shep, and pulled Snap to one
side. All jumped into the open and were just in time to escape
about ten feet of the top of the tree, which sailed through the
air and bit the lake surface with a loud splash. Then down came
half a dozen small branches, several with birds' nests on them.

"This is positively the worst storm yet," was Snap's comment,
after a perilous half hour had passed. "I am wet to the skin."

"Don't say a word," groaned Whopper. "I've got about a barrel
of water in my shoes and another barrel down my neck!"

"I am going to see if the stores are safe," came from Shep, and
he hurried for the boat, followed by Snap. They found that the
canvas had torn from its fastenings and was flapping wildly in
the wind. The rain had soaked almost everything.

"This is certainly serious," said Snap, as he did his best, assisted
by the others, to pull the canvas into place once more and fasten
it tight. "We don't want our stores ruined."

"We can thank Mr. Andrew Felps for this experience," grumbled
Shep. "I suppose he is snug in our cabin and laughing at us."

"He must certainly be in the cabin," said Giant, who had followed
the others to the boat.

They could do nothing to make themselves comfortable, and so had
to simply grin and bear it, which they did with the best grace
possible. They were afraid to remain under the trees for fear
of getting struck by some falling branch.

"Wonder how long this is going to last?" came from Whopper, an hour
later. "Looks to me as if it was going to keep up a long time."

"There is no telling," answered Snap. "I think---hark!"

All listened and heard a strange humming. Then the wind began to
tear through the forest with fearful violence.

"It is surely a tornado!" yelled Shep. "Get down, all of you,
or you'll be blown to nowhere!"

CHAPTER X

GIANT AND THE MASKALONGE

The wind was making such a noise that little more could be said,
and as the tornado increased all of the boys threw themselves
on the ground, between a number of low bushes close to the lake
shore. The rain