turn which he had wired
to the old gentleman when in touch with a telegraph station.

Thad himself had believed that there was not the slightest cloud along
the horizon; and now that this Cale Martin business had cropped up, he
began to realize that after all it might not be such clear sailing as
they had figured on.

Still, Thad was not the one to borrow trouble, though ready to grapple
with it in any shape or manner, once it found them out.

They camped early on that night, because all of them were a little
tired; and the location on the shore looked especially fine.

"Hey, look at what Giraffe's going to do!" exclaimed Bumpus, after they
had carried part of their things ashore, and were busily engaged in
putting up the two big tents supplied by Jim Hasty from his camp stores,
such as all Maine guides delight to possess.

"Why, ain't it a part of my business to start the fire every time?"
demanded the party in question, who was on his knees; "didn't Thad
promise me that job if I'd keep on being careful about startin' fires
every-which-way? I ain't had a blessed match on my person since I gave
that promise, have I, Thad? And what's wrong about my getting the blaze
in my own way, tell me that, Bumpus?"

"But we want supper, and we don't mean to sit around here an hour or
two, just watchin' you tinker with that silly old bow and stick,
twirling away like you had to saw through to China. How about that,
Thad?" and Bumpus turned appealingly toward the patrol leader, well
knowing that whatever he said would go.

"Bumpus is right, Giraffe," the other said, kindly but firmly. "You're
welcome to spend all the time you want with that contraption, after
you've started our cooking fire; but it wouldn't be fair to hold up the
whole bunch just to please yourself. Your own good sense tells you that,
Giraffe."

Giraffe, of course, had to appear to be convinced.

"Just when I had a new scheme in my head, too, that I just know would
have made the fire come," he grumbled, as he hung the little bow on a
twig of a tree near by, and produced flint and steel, and a little bag
in which he kept tinder, in the shape of tiny shavings which he was
always preparing at odd moments; "and before I get another chance to try
it, I'll have forgotten the combination, sure. But that's always the way
it goes; though don't you dare think Bumpus Hawtree, that I'm going to
give up so easy. I'll fight it out this way if it takes all winter."

Bein