ters arising, he soon forgot the circumstance.

On the following morning Bluff and Jerry went out in the boat to fish,
and the latter soon found himself enjoying the thrill that comes to
the angler when fast to a vigorous two-pound black bass bred in the
cold water of a big northern lake.

The fun grew when Bluff struck the mate to Jerry's fighter, and both
boys were put to their best efforts in order to save the fish, as well
as to keep them from fouling the lines, in which case one or both
might have broken away.

In the end they managed to scoop up both prizes in the landing net,
and this gave them more pleasure than many generals would find in
capturing a fortress.

About ten o'clock the boys came in. Jerry said they were tired of
sitting in the sun and playing havoc with the fish, for they had put
back many small ones, being real sportsmen. Bluff, on his part,
admitted that he was tired, but declared it lay along the line of
baling out the leaky boat, and not of taking fish.

"Hey! you two fellows in camp, come down here and look, if you want to
see a sight good for sore eyes!" called Jerry, as he jumped ashore and
commenced to drag the old boat up on the sandy beach.

Accordingly Frank and Will approached to look at the catch, and not
only admire but tender their congratulations.

"As fine a mess of bass as I've set eyes on in many a day," announced
Frank.

"Hello! see who's coming past the cabin, and heading for us!"
exclaimed Will. "There's Mr. Dennison, to begin with, but I don't know
the other man."

"Well, we do, don't we, Jerry?" ventured Bluff, a vein of uneasiness
in his voice. "We happened to talk with him over at the village. You
can see the badge on his coat from here. That tells who he is--the
constable of the village, and he said he was also the marshal of this
district. But what under the sun does he want at _our_ camp, I'd like
to know!"

CHAPTER XVIII

THE ACCUSATION

Frank Langdon watched the two men hurrying toward the beach with an
uneasy feeling in the region of his heart. He could easily see that
Aaron Dennison looked angry, and from this it was not difficult to
surmise that fresh trouble hung over the heads of the Outdoor Chums.

"Whew! what's in the wind now, I wonder?" he heard Bluff asking
himself; and so far as that went both Jerry and Will were also plainly
disturbed.

The two men quickly reached the spot where the boys were grouped.
Jerry mutely held up the t