the year when the boys were at the lake it was
contrary to law to kill deer. It was known that there were bears in that
part of the country as well as lynxes--or catamounts, as they are
generally called; but they were so scarce that no one thought of hunting
them. Harry did succeed in shooting three pigeons and a quail, and Tom
shot a gray squirrel; but the bears, deer, catamounts, and ducks that
they had expected to shoot did not show themselves.

On the other hand, they had any quantity of fishing. Perch and cat-fish
swarmed all around the island; and large pickerel, some of them weighing
six or eight pounds, could be caught by trolling. Two miles farther
north was another lake that was full of trout, and the boys visited it
several times, and found out how delicious a trout is when it is cooked
within half an hour after it is taken from the water. In fact, they
lived principally upon fish, and became so dainty that they would not
condescend to cook any but the choicest trout and the plumpest cat-fish
and pickerel.

It must be confessed that there was a good deal of monotony in their
daily life. In the morning somebody went for milk, after which breakfast
was cooked and eaten. Then one of the boys would take the gun and tramp
through the woods in the hope of finding something to shoot, while the
others would either go fishing or lie in the shade. Once they devoted a
whole day to sailing entirely around the lake in the boat, and another
day a long rainstorm kept them inside of the tent most of the time. With
these exceptions, one day was remarkably like another; and at the end of
two weeks they began to grow a little tired of camping, and to remember
that there were ways of enjoying themselves at home.

Their final departure from their island camp was caused by an accident.
They had decided to row to the southern end of the lake, and engage a
team to meet them the following week, and to carry them to Glenn's
Falls, where they intended to ship the boat on board a canal-boat bound
for New York, and to return home by rail. To avoid the heat of the sun,
they started down the lake immediately after breakfast, and forgot to
put out the fire before they left the island.

After they had rowed at least a mile, Tom, who sat facing the stern,
noticed a light wreath of smoke rising from the island, and remarked,
"Our fire is burning yet; we ought not to have gone and left it."

Harry looked back, and saw that the cloud of smo