y. Dave was messing with the Dutch oven in which Bess had just
before put the pan of biscuit for breakfast.

"Ho, ho!" cried Tubby. "Where are the girls?"

"Bear hunting, I bet!" cried Ferd Roberts.

"Good-morning, Mrs. Havel," said Dave, smiling rather sheepishly. "I
hope we didn't scare _you_."

"You rather startled me--coming unannounced," admitted Mrs. Havel, but
smiling quietly. "You surely have not breakfasted so early?"

"No. That's part of the game," declared another youth. "We claim
forfeit--and in this case take payment in eats."

"I am afraid you are more slangy than understandable," returned Mrs.
Havel. "Did you come for something particular?"

"Goodness! didn't you see those girls running?" cried Ferd.

"Running? Where to?" queried the chaperone.

Dave began to look more serious.

"Perhaps they are running yet!" squealed Tubby, only seeing the fun of
it.

"Bet they've gone for help to hunt the bears," laughed another of the
reckless youngsters.

"They'll get out the whole countryside to find 'em," choked Ferdinand
Roberts. "That's _too_ rich."

"Are you sure the girls didn't come your way, Mrs. Havel?" asked Dave,
with anxiety.

"Oh, the girls will be back presently. I came up to see to the biscuit,
Mr. Shepard. About inviting you to breakfast--You know, I am only a
guest of Green Knoll Camp myself. I couldn't invite you," said Mrs.
Havel, demurely.

The boys looked at each other in some surprise and Tubby's face fell
woefully.

"Ca-can't we do something to help you get breakfast, Mrs. Havel?"

Mrs. Havel had to hide a smile at that, but she remained obdurate. "I
have really nothing to do with it, Sir Tubby. You must wait for the
girls to come," she said.

The boys began whispering together; but they did not move. They had
scuttled over from their own camp early with the express intention of
"getting one" on the girls, and making a breakfast out of it. But now
the accomplishment of their purpose seemed doubtful, and there was a
hollow look about them all that should have made Mrs. Havel pity them.

That lady, however, remembered vividly how she had run along the shore
in fear of a flock of bears; this was a part of the boys' punishment for
that ill-begotten joke.

The biscuit were beginning to brown, the coffee sent off a delicious
odor, and here were eggs ready to drop into the kettle of boiling water
for their four-minute submersion. Besides, there was mush and milk.
Every minut