m his "investigating spirit," must
have led him into some fresh difficulty.

The boys were all on their feet by this time, and several had even
snatched up the stout staves which had proven so useful during their
arduous tramp from home to this far-off region of Lake Omega.

"He's coming this way!" called out Step-hen, excitedly.

"Yes, suh, and on the full gallop, too, believe me!" added Bob White,
actually taking a step forward, as if ready to meet the danger half way,
should there any peril develop.

Thad did not give the order to advance because he had 'ere now
discovered that there was no evidence of fright in the shouts of Bumpus.
Rather could he detect a note triumph, as though the fat boy believed he
had accomplished something worth while, and was deserving of
congratulation.

And now all of them could make out what he was calling as he came
stumbling along.

"Hey! fellers, what d'ye think, I've found--oh! that old vine nearly cut
my neck in two, plague take it--a boat! Yes, a regular boat, hid away in
the brush where I was looking for rabbits' tracks; meanin' to learn how
to follow the same. And better still, it's got a paddle in it, too. Now
we c'n go fishing, and have a bully old time exploring that island out
yonder. Don't you think I ought to get a merit badge, Thad, for being so
smart, hey?"

CHAPTER XIII.

THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND.

Sure enough, when the others followed the proud Bumpus through the woods
for a little distance, and then down close to the edge of the water,
they found that he had really come upon a boat in a dense thicket, where
it had evidently been hidden.

"Must a belonged to some of them game keepers that rich man hired to
watch his property up here," declared Step-hen, as he examined the
craft, while they all crowded around.

"Looky here, got a bully old paddle under the seats too!" called out
Giraffe, holding up the article in question, admiringly, after they had
turned the canoe over.

"Ain't this a great find, though?" declared Bob White, who was
particularly fond of the water, and boats of all kinds.

Bumpus smote himself on the chest, and puffed out his fat cheeks, as he
looked around at his comrades.

"Make fun of that wonderful investigating instinct of mine, will you,
boys?" he remarked; "well, see what a feller gets for being
persevering, and wanting to learn all the while. Now, if I'd been like,
say Step-hen here, and content to lay around after eating