sed all to wind in their lines.

The fish were counted and it was seen that Dorothy had made the best
record with seventeen trout of various sizes. Gerald came a close
second, having sixteen, while Molly and Jim followed in the order
named with fourteen and twelve respectively.

Lunch was eaten--or rather devoured, for they were ravenously
hungry--in the shade of the big trees on the bank before preparations
were made for the return to camp.

"Wish those fish were up the mountain," sighed Jim.

"Oh, it will be easy to carry them," said Molly.

"Yes; easy for you, because Gerald and I will have to carry all
you've caught as well as our own."

"How clever of you to guess that," Dorothy said, laughing. "You're a
bright boy, Jim."

"Yes; a little too bright sometimes," he returned. "Next time I come
fishing I hope I shall be bright enough not to invite you girls."

"You did not invite us; we invited ourselves," said Molly with some
spirit.

"And they should be well satisfied," said Dorothy. "If it had not
been for us they would have gone back to camp before the fish
commenced to bite, and then we would have had none."

"Pooh, pooh!" said Jim.

"And again pooh, pooh!" said Gerald.

Then, without further ado, the boys picked up their loads and the
climb back to the camp was begun.

They reached their destination tired from the exertion of the climb
and generally weary from the day's strenuous outing, but soon the
odor of fried fish made them glad they had taken the trip and that
the results had been so satisfying.

CHAPTER VIII

THE JOURNEY HOME

The next few days passed quickly to the campers, who were loath for
the time to approach when they would have to "pull up stakes" for the
return to Baltimore.

Among the excursions following the fishing trip, was another of a
similar nature, participated in alone by Jim and Gerald. But as the
results were considerably less than on the day the girls had
accompanied them, there was a hearty laugh at the boys' expense when
they returned to camp. This they accepted good-naturedly, however.

At one time or another the whole face of the mountain was explored,
many curious things being discovered. Among them was a cave of large
extent, where stalactites and stalagmites abounded in great
profusion. Many were broken off to be taken back home as mementoes of
the trip.

Nothing further had been heard from James Haley and Sheriff Dundon,
and during the last few