the run. Bear steak wouldn't go halfway bad;
and it'd be all the same if he was tame or wild, I'm thinking."

Although after that both boys continued to keep one suspicious eye on
the neighboring woods, and made sure that their guns were always ready,
nothing happened. It might be they were somewhat disappointed, because
both had a streak of love for adventure in their composition, and would
possibly have welcomed the excitement that must follow the appearance of
a real live bear.

The string of pickerel and perch they carried back to camp aroused the
others to enthusiastically admit that Steve and Toby certainly took the
premium for catching the wary denizens of the pond. They found
themselves delegated to repeat the performance on succeeding days, as
long as their appetite for fresh fish remained good.

That afternoon Toby set to work making what he confidentially told Steve
was to be a trap. If the unknown animal came prowling around again on
the ensuing night, perhaps it would be sorry for trespassing without an
invitation.

Just what sort of an arrangement this was going to be he would not
declare, but promised to explain it all to them later on.

"Who'll go with me over to the farmer's, to get some fresh eggs and
milk?" asked Max, a short time after they had eaten lunch.

"Now don't all look at me that way," Bandy-legs remarked, "because I'm
ready to be the victim as soon as I get my second wind, which'll be in
about half an hour longer."

"That's always the way with him," Steve complained; "he eats so much
that for a whole hour or so he's just logy, and not fit for anything.
Now Toby and me think we did our share when we caught that nice lot of
fish this morning."

"Didn't you hear me say I was meaning to go with Max!" demanded the
other, bridling up. "Well, there's no need for hurrying so. It's a long
walk there and back. I'm just wondering whether we ought to take a gun
along."

"What for, to shoot the bull if you meet him?" asked scornful Steve.

"Oh! you never can tell," replied the other; "and I noticed that you was
mighty careful to lug yours along when you went after fish. Thought a
big pickerel'd jump out of the water and chase you, p'raps. Careful how
you let fish take a bite out of your leg, ain't you? Well, we might run
across some savage animal that'd be a heap worse than a pickerel's sharp
teeth."

"I'll carry a gun if you think best," Max remarked; "but as we'll have
eggs and milk to t