they threw away. Late in the afternoon
Shep and Giant went fishing, while Snap and Whopper walked for a
short distance into the woods.

"We can't go very far," said Snap. "It is too wet in the shade."

"I see one bird already," said his companion, and picked up a fine
woodpecker. A thrush and two other birds they could not place
followed, and then they ran across a fallen tree under which lay
two squirrels.

"This is hunting of a new kind," said Whopper. "Poor chaps!"
he went on, looking at the squirrels. "I suppose that storm ripped
your home completely to pieces!"

"Wait! I see a good shot!" cried Snap, a few minutes later, and
raising his gun took careful aim. The report of the fowling-piece
was followed by a wild fluttering and then two partridges dropped
down, each seriously wounded. The boys dashed forward, caught
the game and quickly put them out of their misery.

"There, we have done enough for to-day," said Snap, but Whopper
blazed away, nevertheless, and brought down a rabbit that chanced to
be limping across a clearing, having had a paw broken by the storm.

With their game in their bags, the boys started back for the lake
front. They were almost to the camping spot when a wild cry of
alarm rent the air.

"Help!" came in Giant's voice.

"Let go! Let go!" came from Shep, an instant later.

"I can't! I can't!" answered the smallest of the young hunters.

"Something is wrong!" cried Snap, and dashed for the shore, followed
by his companion. When they came to the clearing they found Shep
standing up in the rowboat, gesticulating wildly. Giant was in
the water and moving at a fairly rapid pace toward the centre
of Firefly Lake!

"What does this mean?" questioned Snap.

"He got some kind of a bite and the fish hauled him overboard,"
answered Shep.

"Why don't you let the fish go?" screamed Whopper.

"I---I can't," gasped Giant. "The line is twisted around my wrist!"

"Row for him, Shep!" called Snap.

He had scarcely spoken when the fish took another tack, dragging poor
Giant toward the shore, some distance above the camp. Snap and
Whopper hurried in the direction, and as the little youth managed to
get a footing near the beach they ran in up to their ankles and
dragged him to safety. Then all three began to haul in on the
fishing line.

"I see what it is!" cried Snap. "A maskalonge---and a whopper,
too!"

Snap was right, and it was no mean task to bring the fish to the
shor