"That's easy to explain," answered the doctor's son. "He left town and took to the woods, and his quest for food brought him here."

"And it was the lion that scared the buck," said Snap.

"More than likely. And he scared us, too. Why didn't you shoot at him?"

"Why didn't you?"

"I guess we were all about paralyzed; I know I was," declared Whopper. "I didn't come out to hunt lions! Ugh! Maybe we had better get away from here. You can't kill a lion with a shotgun—-you need a rifle, and a heavy one at that."

"Three heavy charges of buckshot would discourage any lion, I think," answered Shep. "At the same time, we don't want to run the risk of being torn to pieces by such a beast."

"Boys, I've got an idea!" cried Snap suddenly. "Maybe it won't work out, but we might try it."

"To kill the lion?"

"No, to capture him alive, and turn him over to the circus folks for that reward."

"What is the idea?"

"Let us dig a big pit here among the rocks and bait it with the two dead wildcats. We can drag the wildcats on the ground around here and to the pit, and maybe the lion will follow the trail up and fall into the pit."

"He'll be very obliging if he does that," said Whopper with a laugh. "I guess lions are as cautious as any wild beasts."

"He'll follow the trail if he gets hungry enough," said the doctor's son. "I think the idea is a good one, and I vote we follow it out at once.

"But to dig a pit will be lots of work," said Whopper. "Can't we find some ready-made hole that will do?"

Retreating still farther, and keeping their eyes and ears wide open for the possible reappearance of the monarch of the forest, the three young hunters at length found a hole that suited them. The bottom was filled with loose stones and decayed leaves, but these they soon cleaned out. Then, while Whopper went off for the dead wildcats, Snap and Shep made the hole still deeper. They removed the stones until they came to something of a small cave, and had to take care, for fear of tumbling in.

"I think that will hold the lion, if he deigns to come this way," said the doctor's son.

Over the top of the opening they placed some light brushwood, that would easily sink with the weight of any big beast, and in the center placed one of the dead wildcats. The other they dragged in a circle around the hole, and then let it fall to the bottom.

"That will give the beast something to eat, in case he is captured," said the doctor's son. "We don't want him to starve on our hands."

"I've got another idea," said Snap. "Why not fix one of the cameras so it will go off and take a picture, in case the lion touches a certain string? Mr. Jally told me how it could be done."

"A good idea!" cried Shep. "We'll do it right away. Only we don't want any flashlight, for that would scare the lion away."

"No; we'll have to run the risk of having the camera worked in the daylight."

It was dark by the time their task was accomplished. They knew that they could not get back to camp, yet none of them had any desire to remain in the vicinity of the lion.

"He might take it into his head to eat us up instead of the wildcats," said Whopper earnestly.

"Right you are," responded Shep. "We'll get as far away as we can."

They tramped for at least two miles, and during that time passed a mountain brook that was strange to them. They tried to get some fish, but were unsuccessful.

"We are skunked, and no mistake," said Snap dolefully. "Not even one fish or a rabbit for supper!"

"I am going to beat around the trees for something," said the doctor's son. "Shoot at anything that flies."

He walked ahead, and the others kept their guns in readiness. But all he stirred up were a few small birds not worth laying low.

"Lucky we saved a little of the grub," said Whopper. "If we hadn't we'd go to bed supperless."

"I am going to roost in a tree to-night, to keep out of the reach of that lion," said Snap.

All agreed that this would be a good thing to do, and after dividing what remained of the food brought along, and getting a drink at a spring, they selected a tree that suited their purpose and mounted to the thickest of the limbs.

"Not a very comfortable bed," was Shep's comment. "But better than falling into that lion's clutches."

"Shall we go back to the pit in the morning?" asked Whopper.

"No; let us go to camp first, and see how Giant and Tommy are making out," said the doctor's son. "Most likely they'll be worrying about us."

To keep from falling, the three young hunters tied themselves fast in the tree. They tried to sleep, but this was almost impossible, and the most each got were fitful naps, with many dreams of the lion. All thoughts of other game were, for the time being, banished from their minds.

At daybreak they descended to the ground and started for camp without waiting to shoot something for breakfast. They calculated they could get back before noon, and then they would eat a big dinner at their leisure.

All thought they had the "lay of the land" well fixed in their minds, and so they did not advance with the caution they might otherwise have taken. As a consequence, they presently made a false turn, and this brought them to a part of the mountains that was exceedingly rocky and rough.

"Say, we can't get through here," declared Whopper at last. "Why, it's worse than the Rocky Road to Dublin!"

"I believe we are off the right trail," returned Snap. "It seems to me our camp must be in that direction," and he pointed to their left.

"Perhaps you are right," said the doctor's son. "Anyway, we can't get through here. We'll ruin our shoes and run the risk of breaking our necks."

"Let us walk to the left," said Snap, and they turned back a short distance. As they did this, they started up a number of rabbits and, eager for some game, each blazed away, and as a consequence two of the creatures were brought low.

"Not much, but something," said the doctor's son.

They pressed on, soon coming to some rocks that were quite smooth.

"Be careful here," cautioned Snap. "A tumble would be a nasty thing. There is a cliff just below us."

He and the doctor's son went ahead and Whopper followed. The rocks were even more slippery than they had anticipated. The doctor's son was about to advise going back and walking around the cliff, when Whopper called out:

"A deer! I see a deer!"

"Where?" asked the others in a breath.

"Over yonder! I am going to give him a shot!"

In great excitement Whopper stood upright on the smooth rocks, raised his shotgun and pulled the trigger. But the deer was not hit, and a moment later disappeared from view.

The report of the shotgun was followed by a yell from Whopper. The weapon, had kicked back and sent him sprawling. Now he was rolling over and over on the smooth rocks, directly toward the dangerous cliff below him.



CHAPTER XXI

ADRIFT IN THE WOODS

"Stop Whopper, or he'll go over the cliff!"

It was the doctor's son who uttered the words. He was high up on the rocks and could do nothing to save his chum.

Snap heard and understood, for he saw Whopper rolling rapidly toward the cliff. If the youth went over, a sheer drop of twenty or thirty feet awaited him—-with more rocks below.

In this moment of peril, for Snap to think was to Whopper was very dear to him, and he resolved to do all he could to save his chum, even at the risk of his own life.

He let his gun drop and ran over the rocks to where Whopper was rolling over and over. Then he caught him by the foot and threw himself flat, clutching tenaciously at a single stone that arose sharply above those around it. Snap's grip was good, and for the moment Whopper's progress was stayed.

"Don't move!" called out Snap as soon as he could catch his breath. "Press down on the rocks for all you are worth!"

Whopper understood and pressed down, and thus both boys lay quiet for several seconds. Whopper was but three feet from the edge of the cliff and Snap was just above him. The doctor's son was to the right, in a spot that was a comparatively safe one.

"The—-the gun kicked!" gasped Whopper when he could speak.

"Yes, I know," answered Snap. "But be careful, or you'll go over the cliff yet!"

Whopper screwed his head around and gazed in the direction of the yawning gulf below him, and his face changed color.

"Gosh! We'll have to get out of this," he murmured.

"Crawl toward Shep; but take it slowly and be careful," directed Snap. "Shall I help you?"

"No, I can do it alone," was the answer.

Both boys crawled like snails over the smooth rocks until they gained the spot where the doctor's son rested. Whopper drew a long breath of relief.

"I'm glad I didn't take that tumble," he whispered hoarsely. He could hardly speak, and his limbs trembled slightly.

"It was a good thing Snap stopped you," said Shep.

"That's what—-and I am mighty thankful, Snap," replied Whopper gratefully.

"Well, we'll have to go back, that is all there is to it," remarked the doctor's son after a pause, during which they looked across the rocks in perplexity. "I thought sure we could go this way, but it seems as if we can't."

To climb down the rocks was as great a task as it had been to climb up, and by the time they reached the bottom all were thoroughly hungry. It now lacked but an hour and a half of noon.

"We'll never get to camp by dinner-time," declared Snap. "And I'm not going to do without breakfast and dinner, too. I move we light a fire and cook those rabbits. I've got a little coffee left, enough for three weak cups, I guess."

The others agreed, and reaching a comfortable spot, they cut a little wood and made a fire. Then they sat down to rest while the skinned and cleaned rabbits were broiling. Snap made the coffee and, though rather weak and without milk and sugar, they drank it eagerly. They had a little salt for the rabbits, but that was all. But hunger and fresh air are great appetizers.

The scant meal at an end, they resumed their journey, the doctor's son taking the lead. They moved in a semicircle around the base of one small mountain and then reached a rather broad mountain torrent.

"Hello, here's a surprise!" cried Snap. "I had no idea such a big brook flowed through these parts."

"Nor I," added Shep. "Looks as if there might be good fishing here."

The boys noted the location of the brook, so that they might visit it another day, and then pushed on as before. They reached a slight rise and all concluded that their camp was directly to the west.

"In that case all we'll have to do is to follow the sun," declared Whopper.

"Right you are," responded the doctor's son.

"How far do you calculate it is?"

"Not more than two miles."

"It may be a little more," said Snap. "But not much."

They plunged into the woods once more, and had hardly proceeded a hundred yards when they heard some partridges drumming. It was a chance for another shot, and they hurried forward with guns ready for use.

"I see them!" cried Snap, and blazed away, and the others followed suit. They were unusually lucky, for five of the birds fell, either dead or fatally wounded. Soon they had the game in their bags.

"There! that is something like!" cried Snap. "They'll make fine eating." And he smacked his lips. He loved partridge meat very much.

They seemed to be getting deeper and deeper into the woods. The trees around them were so dense that it was almost impossible to see the direction of the sun. Several times they came to a halt to look around.

"What do you make of it?" asked Snap.

"I don't like it," answered the doctor's son emphatically. "First thing we know we'll be lost."

"Just what I was thinking."

"We were to follow the sun," came from Whopper.

"Can you see it?"

"Once in a while, and not very clearly at that."

"Tell you what we might do," suggested Shep. "Climb a big tree and take a look around."

This was considered a wise suggestion, and they started to carry it out. A tree was selected, and the others gave Snap a boost to the lower branches. Then up went the youth to the top, slowly but surely.

"Well, what do you see?" demanded the doctor's son, after having given his chum a chance to look around.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" echoed Whopper blankly.

"Nothing but woods and mountains, and a brook or two. I don't see a thing that looks like a camp anywhere."

"Oh, it must be ahead of us," insisted the doctor's son.

"All right—-you come up and locate it," grumbled Snap.

Shep came up and so did Whopper, and all three of the lads gazed longingly, first in one direction and then in another. Nothing but what Snap had mentioned greeted their eyes.

"Boys, we are lost!" cried Whopper.

"Oh, no, we're not lost—-we are here," answered Snap. "The camp is lost."

"It's the same thing—-so far as we are concerned."

"I think that is Firefly Lake," said Shep, pointing to a hazy spot in the distance. "And if it is, then our camp may lay around on the upper side of this mountain."

"That may be true."

"Shall we try to walk it?"

"Might as well, Shep. We don't want to stay here all night."

"And we don't want to walk two or three miles out of our way," put in Whopper. "I'm getting mighty tired—-not having had a good rest last night."

"We are having one adventure on top of the other," said the doctor's son with a grim smile. "Well, is it go forward or stay here?"

Nobody wanted to stand still, and so they descended to the ground and moved off in the new direction settled upon. All were fagged out, so progress was slow. They encountered some squirrels and Snap brought down two and stowed them away with his partridge.

"There's a cat!" cried Shep suddenly, and ran forward. Then of a sudden he stopped and smiled, while Whopper and Snap roared.

"Better give that cat a wide berth," suggested Snap, "unless you want to put a whole perfumery shop to shame." And they did give the animal a wide berth, for it was a skunk, and one "ready for business," as Snap afterward expressed it.

By nightfall they were still deep in the woods. All were now exhausted, and coming to a fallen tree Snap dropped to rest and so did his chums.

"Boys, we have missed it," said the doctor's son seriously. "I must confess I haven't the least idea where our camp is!"

"And that means we'll have to stay out in these woods all night," returned Whopper.

"More than likely."



CHAPTER XXII

THE SPINK CROWD AGAIN

The prospect was not a pleasant one for the three boy hunters. It was not that they were afraid over the fact that they were lost in the woods on the mountain side. But they knew that Giant and Tommy would be greatly worried over their absence, and it was possible, yes, probable, that the two lads might have trouble with Ham Spink and his cronies.

"Ham will be as mad as a hornet if he had much trouble finding his boat," said Snap, in talking the situation over. "And the first thing he'll think of will be to get square."

"Well, if we can't get back we can't get back, and that is all there is to it," answered the doctor's son philosophically. "We've got to make the best of it."

"And then that lion——-" added Whopper. But to this the others merely shrugged their shoulders.

They found a spot that seemed as good as any, and collecting some dry sticks built a camp fire and made themselves a supper. They were footsore and weary and glad to rest. Inside of an hour after eating all of the lads fell asleep, and each slept soundly until morning.

Snap was the first to awaken, and, letting the others rest, he replenished the camp fire and got breakfast ready. There was a sameness about their food that was not very appetizing, but this could not be helped.

"When I get back I'm going to live a whole day on pancakes and beans and bacon," said Whopper. "No more rabbits for me, or partridge, either."

"That's the one drawback to camping out," returned the doctor's son. "One does get awfully tired of eating game."

It was again a question of how to proceed, and once more they mounted a tree to take observations. They now saw two columns of smoke arising on the air, not a great distance off.

"Our camp fire and that of the Spink crowd!" exclaimed Snap. "I'll wager a button on it."

"I believe you are right," answered Shep. "We'll make for the nearest of 'em, anyway."

They set off at a brisk pace, taking as direct a route as the nature of the ground permitted. On the way they came to a large patch of huckleberry bushes and found the berries ripe and luscious.

"Let's pick some," said Whopper. "Then we can make huckleberry dumplings, or something like that."

"What about huckleberry pie?" suggested Snap.

"Great!"

They stopped long enough to pick several quarts of the berries, stowing the fruit away in one of the cleaned-out game bags. Then on they went as before.

Soon they broke through the woods into a clearing, and on the opposite side of this saw a camp, with several boys lolling around a camp fire. They were members of the Spink crowd and included Dick Bush and Carl Dudder.

"Say, where did you come from?" demanded Carl Dudder as he espied them and leaped to his feet.

"From the woods," answered Shep calmly.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing, Dudder, excepting to pass."

"Huh! You needn't look so innocent-like, Shep Reed! We know what you did to our boat," put in Dick Bush.

"What did we do to it?" asked Whopper.

"You know well enough. Think you're smart, don't you?" growled Carl.

"We know what you were going to do to our boat," put in Snap.

"What?"

"You heard what I said. We only got ahead of you, that's all."

"We'll fix you for it, don't you worry," said Carl with a cunning leer.

"Take care that you don't get into trouble," was Shep's answer. Then he walked around the camp fire and his chums followed.

"Where are you going?" asked one of the other members of the Spink crowd.

"That is our business."

At this answer the other lads merely scowled. There was an awkward pause, and then Shep and his chums moved on and plunged into the woods beyond the camp fire.

"They are a real sociable bunch," was Whopper's sarcastic comment. "How I would love to stay with them!"

"I'll wager they fight like cats and dogs," put in the doctor's son. "I don't believe they have one real pleasant day." And he was right; the Spink crowd were usually wrangling from morn to night and already one of the number had left and started for home in disgust.

The boy hunters had the best part of half a mile farther to go, but this they soon covered and then came to an opening that looked familiar to them. Close at hand was their own camp. As they approached they heard loud talking.

"You clear out, Ham Spink, and leave us alone," came in the voice of Giant. "We don't want you around here. And we don't want you, either, Ike Akley."

"We'll leave when we please," was the answer from Ham Spink.

"We aren't going to hurt you," said the boy named Ike Akley, another of the Spink contingent.

"We don't want you around."

"Got anything good to eat?" demanded Ham coolly.

"Not for you."

"We'll not go until you give us something good."

"That's the talk!" cried Akley.

Let's take a look around and see if we can find any cookies!" said Ham.

"You leave our things alone," said Giant firmly.

"Bah! You fellows didn't leave our boat alone, so why should we leave your things alone?" growled Ham.

"I won't have you looking through our things," cried Giant.

He stepped up in front of Ham, who was much taller and heavier. At the same time Tommy ran to a distance and picked up two good-sized stones.

"You touch him or the things and I'll throw these!" cried the boy from the circus. "And I'll set my dog on you, too!"

"You little rat, you!" roared Ham. "Don't you dare to interfere with me."

"I'll take care of the kid!" cried Ike Akley, and strode toward Tommy. But in a twinkling the boy from the circus had leaped into a tree and was safe among the branches. The stones he had put in his pockets, but now he brought them forth again.

"Just remember what I said!" he exclaimed. "I'm a good shot, too!"

"We'll get the best of 'em, and take what we please!" cried Ham Spink.

"Will you?" called out Shep, advancing into the opening, with his gun in his hands. "I rather guess not."

Ham looked around, and so did Ike Akley. When both saw the doctor's son, Snap and Whopper, and all with their guns in their hands, they fell back and grew a trifle pale.

"Thought you were going to rob us, eh?" said Shep sternly.

"N—-no," stammered Ham. "We—-er—-we were only going to take a—-er—-cookie or two, if you had 'em."

"Well, you'll not take a thing, so clear out!"

"You—-you took our boat," said Ham.

"And you were going to take ours, only you didn't find it," said Snap with a grin.

"You hadn't any right to touch our boat."

"See here, Ham, don't talk like a child. After all you did to harm us in the past we've got a right to do almost anything to you, and you know it," said the doctor's son. "Now you clear out and leave us alone."

"You've been following us," put in Ike Akley.

"Not at all."

"Then why did you come away out here to camp?"

"Because we chose to come. Now, clear out—-and stay away!"

A wordy war lasting several minutes followed. It was plainly to be seen that the shifting of the boat had filled Ham Spink with rage, and he was unusually anxious to "square up" with the four boy hunters. But he could do nothing, and at last he and his crony withdrew.

"I am glad you arrived," said Giant. "If you hadn't I am afraid those fellows would have gotten the best of us."

"I would have shied rocks at them," said Tommy, who had come down from the tree. "They may be bigger than I am, but I guess I could outrun 'em," and at this remark the others had to smile.

"More than likely they'll come back some time," said Snap. "And they'll bring the others with them. We'll have to remain on guard. But, Tommy, I've got great news."

"What is that?"

"We've spotted a lion—-the one that got away from the circus."

"A lion!" ejaculated Giant.

"Yes; and we are hoping to trap the beast and get the reward offered for its return," said Whopper.



CHAPTER XXIII

A BEAR AND A LION

Giant and Tommy listened with interest to what the others had to tell about the wildcats, the deer and the lion, and also about the stop at the Spink camp. The story about the lion interested Tommy deeply.

"Casso will be glad to get that lion back," he said. "And if you capture him alive he ought to be willing to pay well for it."

Giant and Tommy had had a rather quiet time in camp. They had hunted and fished a little, and Giant had taken some photos and developed some films and plates and printed a few pictures. The photographs had turned out well, and the young hunters were correspondingly proud of them.

"I think my father will be much pleased," said the doctor's son. "I am sure they are right in line with what he wanted. But we must get a good many more."

"How about your watch, Shep?" asked Whopper.

"I declare, I forgot about it—-thinking of that lion," answered the doctor's son. "We'll have to go to that lonely cabin and see if I can't get it back from that crazy hermit—-if he is around."

A day's rest seemed to make Snap and Shep feel as lively as ever, but Whopper declared that he was still tired out, and, besides, he had scraped an ankle on the rocks and this was quite sore. He said that he was willing to take it quiet for at least a day or two more.

"We'll have to see about that lion, and about that hermit," declared Shep. "Supposing we leave you and Tommy in camp this time, and take Giant along?"

"All right," said Whopper.

"Do you think you can manage—-if the Spink tribe come to bother you?" asked Snap.

"I think so—-unless they come at night."

"You'll have to risk that."

"Wags will watch out at night," said Tommy. "He's better as a watch dog at night than he is in the daytime."

It was decided that the boys should try first to find out if the lion had been trapped. Then they were to journey to the lonely cabin in the woods. Not knowing how long they would be away. They took with them a fair stock of provisions and also a good supply of matches. They also took new films and plates for their cameras. Fortunately, in spite of the rather rough experiences of the boys, none of the picture-taking machines had been damaged, beyond having the leather covers scratched, and this did not matter.

"They don't look so well," said Shep. "But they'll do the work, and that's what we want."

The doctor's son, with Snap and Giant, started early on the following morning. Giant was glad to get away from the camp once more, and whistled a merry tune as they hurried along. They cut around the Spink camp, not wishing to meet their enemies.

"No use of letting them know we are gone," said Snap. "If they did, they'd be sure to go and bother Whopper and Tommy at once—-and two couldn't do much against that whole crowd."

Snap and Shep had fixed the direction well in their mind and studied the position of the sun, so that they might not go astray. Having left the Spink camp behind them, the three boys struck out in a bee line for the spot where they had left the pit with the dead wildcats as bait. They made good progress, and stopped less than half an hour for lunch at midday.

"We ought to reach there before nightfall," said the doctor's son. "That is, unless we get turned around again."

"I think we are going straight," answered Snap. "But it may be farther than you think."

While tramping along they scared up several rabbits, and Giant brought down one of these. But game appeared to be scarce and nothing else came to view.

It was just five o'clock when they reached a clearing that looked familiar to Snap and Shep.

"That pit is just beyond here," said the doctor's son. "We'd better go slow—-in case that lion hasn't been caught and is at large."

The others took the advice and advanced with caution. A fringe of brushwood hid the pit from view. On the other side of the clearing was a dense forest of pines and hemlocks.

"Well, I never!"

It was the doctor's son who uttered the exclamation. He was slightly in advance and had peered over the bushes.

"What is it?" asked Snap in a low tone.

"Look, but don't make any noise."

Snap and Whopper pressed forward and looked. What they saw thrilled them greatly.

On the edge of the pit was a fair-sized black bear. He was sniffing at the carcass of the wildcat that rested on the tree branches laid over the mouth of the opening.

"A chance for a fine shot!" whispered Giant a bit nervously.

"Wait—-we'll get a picture first!" said the doctor's son. "But keep quiet!"

The others understood, and, hardly daring to breathe, the three lads swung their cameras into position, got them ready for use, and spread out among the bushes to take some snapshots.

The bear was a cautious animal and slowly he circled the pit, sniffing longingly at the carcass so close at hand. Evidently he desired a meat diet for a change and wanted to get the wildcat very much, but did not quite trust the tree branches and what might be underneath.

Each of the lads got what he thought was a good picture, and then Snap and Giant looked at Shep and touched their guns. But the doctor's son did not see them, for he was looking wildly at something between the trees on the other side of the clearing.

"What do you see?" whispered Snap.

"Hush!" answered the doctor's son. "Look for yourself."

Snap and Giant gazed in the direction pointed out, and it must be confessed that the hair of the smaller youth literally rose on end. There, between two trees, crouched the lion that had escaped from the circus. The eyes of the monarch of the forest were fastened on the bear, and his tail was swaying from side to side, showing that he was getting ready for a leap.

"Shall we—-we shoot?" asked Snap. He was so agitated he could hardly speak.

"Why not take a picture?" asked Shep, who had his camera still in his hand.

"All right—-but we don't want that lion to—-to come this way."

"Not much!" put in Giant, and it must be confessed that his voice trembled a good deal. To face a deer or even a bear was one thing; to face a powerful lion was quite another.

Slowly the lion came out from between the two trees. The bear now had his head turned the other way, so he was not aware of the approach of the enemy.

It made a magnificent picture, and for the moment the boys forgot their own peril and each took two snapshots, one with the lion almost on top of the bear.

Scarcely had they clicked the shutters of the cameras the second time when a blood-curdling roar rent the air, and the lion made one grand leap for the bear. But as this happened bruin chanced to turn slightly, and with a movement wonderful in such a bulky animal the bear sprang to one side. The lion missed his would-be prey and slid forward, directly into the mass of tree limbs covering the pit.

"He's going into the hole!" cried Snap. "Look!"

All gazed on the scene and saw that Snap was right. Unable to stop himself, the lion had crashed down between the tree limbs and was now struggling vainly to reach firm ground once more. The bear backed away and then, turning, sped off among the trees, not over a dozen yards from where the young hunters were in hiding.

"The bear—-he's coming this way!" yelled Snap.

"Shoot him!" screamed Giant. And he brought around his gun.

All tried to get a shot, but the trees were too thick, and in a few seconds the bear was out of sight, crashing down the brushwood as he went.

He was badly frightened, and with good cause, for a lion was a new enemy for him.

As the bear disappeared the boy hunters turned their attention again to the lion. The monarch of the forest was doing his best to climb over the tree limbs, which turned and bent between him.

"Shall we shoot him?" queried Snap. "If he gets loose."

"There he goes!" shouted Shep.

As the doctor's son spoke they heard a tree limb snap in twain. For one instant the lion clung to the broken end, then, with a roar, the beast sank out of sight into the pit.



CHAPTER XXIV

A NOTABLE CAPTURE

"We've got him! We've got him!" shouted Snap, and his heart gave a wild bound of pleasure.

"Don't be too sure," cautioned the doctor's son. "Wait—-keep your gun ready for use."

"That's it—-he may get out of the pit," came from Giant. "Don't take any risks. He could kill a fellow in a minute, if he got the chance!"

They waited, each with his gun ready. Down in the pit they heard the lion growling and slashing around. Evidently he was doing his best to get out of the hole.

"I'll bet he's mad," said Snap.

"One of the dead wildcats is with him," said Snap. "That will give him something to eat."

"He'll not think of eating just now," answered the doctor's son. "He knows he is in a bad fix."

They waited a minute longer and then the lion became quiet. At last the three boy hunters ventured into the clearing and Shep, with his gun raised, walked slowly to the edge of the pit.

Suddenly a fearful roar rent the air, echoing far and wide across the mountains. The lion had discovered the doctor's son. His mane bristled and he showed his cruel teeth to the full.

"Can he—-do you think he can get out?" asked Snap.

"Hardly, or he'd be out already," answered Shep. "Let us pull those branches away. They might give him some sort of a foothold."

All three of the boys came up and gazed down on the captured beast. They hauled the tree branches away and threw the second dead wildcat into the pit. Snap did this, and it seemed to cause the lion some surprise. He shut his mouth, his eyes began to blink, and presently he bent down and commenced to feed on one of the carcasses.

"He knows he is a prisoner," cried Snap. "See, he's acting just as if he was in the circus." For the monarch of the forest had laid down, with the meat between his heavy fore paws.

"I've got an idea," said Shep, looking around. "There are a great number of flat stones on the mountain side. Let us shove them down here and pile up a sort of wall around the top of the pit. That will surely keep the lion in."

This was considered a good suggestion, and all the lads set to work without delay. Some of the stones were so large it took two to lift them. They made an excellent wall, and inside of an hour the boys had a barrier around the top of the pit three feet high.

"I don't think he'll get out in a hurry," said Shep. "But to make sure we can cut some poles and lay them over the stones and pile more stones on top."

"Humph! Why didn't you mention the poles first?" said Snap.

"I didn't think of it, Snap."

The saplings were cut and placed in a row over the top of the pit and then some stones were put on top of these. Evidently the lion did not like to have his light and air cut off, and he commenced to roar again. But this the boys did not mind, for they now knew they had him fast.

It goes without saying that all the boys were delighted over their catch.

"We'll have to get word to the circus folks as quickly as possible," said Snap. "But where the show is now I don't know."

"Probably Tommy knows the route the circus was to take," answered the doctor's son.

"He does, for he spoke to me about it," put Giant. "But I have forgotten the towns and dates."

"Do you know what I'd like to do before going on to that lonely cabin?" went on Snap.

"What?"

"Go after that bear."

"Oh, he is probably miles away by this time," said the doctor's son. "He was too scared to stay around here."

"Well, let us go after him, anyway. He went in the direction of the cabin—-that is, partly."

"Well, we'll see in the morning," said Shep.

The three boy hunters went into camp not very far away from the pit holding the lion. Once or twice they went up to view their precious prize, and noted that after eating one of the wildcats the lion stretched out and went to sleep.

"Guess he thinks he's back in the menagerie," said Giant. "Well, let him, if only he'll keep quiet until the circus people take him away."

It was such a warm night they did not bother with a camp fire, but eating some of the food brought along, soon retired and went sound asleep. Once Giant awoke with a start and imagined that the lion was after him, but he soon went to sleep again.

I'm the morning they found the captured lion still resting quietly on the bottom of the pit. He had not touched the second wildcat.

"He'll have plenty of food," said Snap. "But how about water?"

"I was thinking of that," answered the doctor's son. "We'll have to bring some from a spring and lower it to him."

They took the kettle they had brought along and filled it at a spring they had found and lowered this into the pit by means of a piece of fishingline Grant carried. At first the lion roared in rage, but when he saw the water he drank eagerly. They had to fill the kettle three times before he was satisfied. Then they took more water and poured it in a hollow on one side of the pit bottom.

"Now he won't go thirsty for a long time," said Shep.

They cooked themselves a good breakfast and a little later set off across the hills in the direction of the end of Firefly Lake. It was their purpose to get to the lake by noon if possible, and then strike out along the rocky watercourse leading to Lake Cameron.

"We'll have to be careful how we tackle that hermit," said the doctor's son. "He may be the craziest kind of a lunatic."

"I've got an idea," said Snap. "Wouldn't it be a good idea to wait until night and then crawl up to the cabin while he is asleep?"

"It may be—-if he didn't take us for robbers and act worse than ever."

"Why not try him in the daytime first, and then, if you can't get the watch, go back at night?" said Giant.

"He may prowl around at night," suggested Shep. "And, remember, he may not have the watch at all—-it's all guesswork."

It was an exceedingly warm day, and when it was near noon all three of the young hunters were glad enough to lie down in the shade and rest. Game appeared to be as scarce as the day before and all they shot were some rabbits and one squirrel.

"We've got to do better than this before we go home," said Shep.

"If we only knew what had become of that bear!" sighed Snap.

"Yes, if we only did!" murmured Giant.

It was so pleasant in the shade that none of the boys could get up ambition enough to go on until they had taken a nap. Then they went up a hill slowly, carrying their coats over their shoulders.

"If it's hot here, what must it be in town?" said the doctor's son.

"About ninety in the shade!" cried Snap.

At the top of the hill they took another rest. Here there was a little breeze, for which they were thankful.

"There is the lake!" cried Giant, pointing to a sheet of water below them. "One good thing, it will be easier going downhill than it was coming up."

"I vote we go in for a good swim when we reach the lake," said Snap. "What do you say, Shep?"

"I'd rather get to that cabin, before it is too late. But I'll take a ten-minutes' dip, if you wish."

So it was agreed, and the boys hurried through the woods to the lake shore in a pleasant frame of mind.

"Listen!" cried Snap presently. "What's that—-a dog?"

All listened and heard a loud barking, coming from the neighborhood of the water.

"I think it's a fox!" cried Giant. "You'll remember, they bark just like that!"

"Let's try to get a photo and a shot!" answered the doctor's son. "Nothing like getting pictures of everything," he added.

They increased their speed, and soon found themselves within a hundred yards of the shore of Firefly Lake. The barking had now ceased, and they stood still, not knowing in which direction to turn.

"Something moving over yonder," whispered Giant presently, and nodded with his head down the lake shore.

Making no noise, they went forward again. They had to pass some bushes and rocks, and then came to a point where a spur of land jutted far out into Firefly Lake. It was a rocky and sandy spur, with scarcely any brushwood on it.

"There you are!" said Snap, and pointed to the extreme end of the spur. There, on the rocks, were two large foxes, their noses well in the air, gazing down the lake attentively.

"We've got them," murmured the doctor's son. "Come on, we'll take pictures first and then shoot them!"

He brought around his camera and the others did likewise. They had just snapped the shutters when the foxes turned, saw them, and set up a loud and angry barking and showed their teeth.

"They are coming for us!" yelled Giant, and he was right. Without hesitation, the foxes made several big leaps and came directly for the young hunters!



CHAPTER XXV

THE TWO FOXES

Ordinarily the foxes would have turned and run away, but, with the lake behind them, this was impossible, consequently they showed fight. They came on snapping and snarling viciously and with their teeth gleaming in a manner that made the boys shudder.

Fortunately for the young hunters the distance from the spur of rocks to where the lads stood was over fifty yards, so, as the foxes came rushing on, they had just time enough to shove aside their cameras and bring their shotguns to the front. Snap was the first of the three to bring his weapon into play, and he pulled the trigger when the fox was less than a dozen feet away.

The shot was a fairly good one, for it took the beast just under the breast. The fox gave a yelp of intense pain and dropped back.

The other fox came rushing at the doctor's son. The strap of Shep's gun had become entangled with that of his camera and consequently it was next to impossible for him to bring the weapon into proper play. He fired, but the charge went too high, and the beast continued to come on, until it crouched at his feet, snapping viciously and getting ready to leap at his throat.

It was now that Giant showed his mettle. He, too, had had a little trouble in getting at his gun, but now the weapon was pointed at the fox at Shep's feet. Giant ran closer and pulled the trigger. Bang! went the gun, and the fox received the full charge directly in the left ear. It keeled over, and Giant sent the second charge of his double-barreled weapon into the second fox, and that, too, went down and lay quivering in its death agonies.

It took the young hunters some time to recover from the excitement of the occurrence. The attack of the foxes had come so quickly that it had startled them greatly.

"This ought to be a warning to us—-this and that fight with the wildcats," said Snap. "We ought to be on our guard every minute. We've been lucky so far—-maybe some other time we'll not do so well."

"Don't borrow trouble, Snap," answered the doctor's son. "Yet I agree with you, we must be more careful in the future. Is your camera all right?"

"I think so."

"Then let us take pictures of ourselves with the dead foxes," went on Shep, and this was done, and later the photographs turned out very well.

Having finished with the picture-taking, the boys threw off their clothing and went for a swim in the clear, cool waters of Firefly Lake.

"Say, this is fine!" cried Snap enthusiastically as he splashed the water around. "Makes a fellow feel a year younger, after such a hot tramp as we have had!"

"That's what!" answered the doctor's son. "Look at this!" he added as he made a long dive from a rock beside which he knew the water to be deep.

They dove and swam and splashed around to their hearts' content for a good quarter of an hour, and even had a little race to a snag sticking up from the bottom fifty yards from the rocks. Then Shep said they had better dress and proceed on their way.

They ran out of the lake, shook themselves, and made for the spot whe'e they had left their clothing behind some bushes. Each stared in amazement. The clothing had been left in three heaps; now the garments were strewn around in helter-skelter fashion.

"Somebody has been here!" cried Snap. "Is anything gone?" demanded Giant. At this all took a hasty inventory of their possessions.

"My shirt is missing!" came from the doctor's son.

"One of my socks is gone," added Giant.

"My belt is gone," came from Snap, "and so is my camera."

"And my gun!" added Shep, looking around to where the weapons had rested against a tree.

"Boys, we have been robbed!"

"What enemy has done this?"

"Can this be the work of the Spink crowd?"

For a minute the talk was lively, and then the boys calmed down a little. Even in their excitement they were glad that nothing more had been taken.

"I don't think the Spink crowd did this," said Snap. "Ham Spink wouldn't stop short of taking everything."

"Exactly my idea of it," answered Giant.

"Whoever it was had a queer idea of what to take," said the doctor's son slowly. "A shirt, a belt, one sock, a camera and a gun. Why in the name of goodness did he take one sock and not the other?"

"He certainly threw things around pretty well," said Giant. "Maybe it was a wild animal," he continued suddenly.

"No wild animal would walk off with a camera and a gun, Giant," returned Snap. "Ha! I have it!" he cried. "That crazy hermit!"

"Maybe you're right," said Shep. "It would be just like such a fellow to do a thing like this."

"And if he did this he must certainly have taken the watch," went on Snap.

"It would seem so."

The boys lost no time in dressing. As it was warm, Shep did not miss his shirt very much, nor did Giant miss his sock. Having no belt, Snap used a piece of stout cord instead.

"The loss of the gun is bad," said the doctor's son as they were finishing their toilet. "For if that crazy fellow has it, it will be so much harder to tackle him."

"That's true," answered Snap. "Maybe he'll shoot himself with it—-if he's so very crazy."

"Oh, we'll not hope that," murmured Giant.

They took the dead foxes and hung them high up in a tree, intending, if possible, to come for them later and turn the meat over to the captured lion. Then they pushed forward in the direction of the rocky waterway that connected the two lakes.

"You'll have to lead," said Snap to the doctor's son. "You've been here before."

"I'll lead as well as I can," was the answer. "But there is no regular trail—-that is, on the other side of the river."

The walking now became very rough, and the three young hunters had to proceed slowly. At times they were in sight of the water, but often their course led them inland for a hundred yards or more.

"These rocks are something fierce!" exclaimed Giant at length, after slipping and sliding several times.

"You beware that you don't twist an ankle," cautioned Snap.

Presently they reached a spot where further progress seemed impossible. Giant and Snap halted and looked at Shep.

Before them was a little hollow, filled with small stones, and beyond were some shelving rocks with large cracks between. Over the shelving rocks grew heavy masses of vines.

"Don't drag," urged the doctor's son. "It is getting late. The sun will be down in another hour."

"I can't go any faster," panted Giant. All three advanced and tried to climb the shelving rocks by holding on to the vines. Some of these gave way, and the three boys fell back. Then from under the rocks came a strange, hissing sound, followed by a curious rattle.

"What's that?" cried Snap.

"Snakes!" roared the doctor's son. "Back for your lives, fellows! We have struck a den of rattlesnakes!"



CHAPTER XXVI

MORE OF A MYSTERY

There was a wild scrambling on the part of all the young hunters to get out of the zone of danger. They leaped for the rocks behind them, and Shep and Snap succeeded in mounting to spots of comparative safety. But Giant was not so successful, and, slipping and sliding, He rolled over and over, coming to a stop when flat on his back.

"Get up! get up!" screamed the doctor's son. "Hurry up, Giant!"

Shep and Snap had caught sight of three rattlesnakes, that had glided from between the shelving rocks ahead. They were all of good size. One had been caught in the torn-away vines and was hissing viciously, and the other two were sounding their rattles, preparatory to striking at the smaller youth.

Giant did not remain upon his back long. The instant he landed he started to turn over. He saw one of the snakes draw near and make a strike at his sockless ankle. Giant let out a yell like an Indian on the warpath, and, on all fours, made a leap like a frog a distance of several feet. Then he stood upright and made another leap for the rocks. As he came close, Snap caught him by the arm and pulled him still higher.

The doctor's son was the only person capable, just then, of using a gun, and having no weapon of his own he grabbed Snap's and blazed away. Whether he hit a snake or not he could not tell. There was a hissing and rustling among the torn away vines, and when the smoke of the discharge cleared away the snakes were no longer to be seen.

"Ugh! what—-a—-a thing t—-to happen!" said Giant with a shiver. His emotion was so deep he could scarcely speak.

"Where are the snakes now?" asked Snap, and drew himself up on the highest rock he could find.

"I don't know—-hiding, I suppose," answered the doctor's son as he peered around sharply for a sight of the reptiles.

The three boys waited for fully two minutes, not daring to make a move. The vines lay where they had been cast, and between them lay Giant's gun, which he had dropped when trying to leap to safety.

"I guess we had better get out of this locality," said Snap at length. "I have no desire to be bitten by a rattlesnake!"

"Indeed not!" answered Giant. "But my gun—-I don't want to leave that behind."

"Do you want to go down for it?"

"Not for a thousand dollars!" answered the small youth vehemently. "Why, a rattlesnake bite is deadly poisonous!"

"I know that as well as you do, Giant."

"You might make a cast with your fishing-line," suggested the doctor's son.

"I will."

Giant always carried several lines, and selecting one of these, he made a loop and to it fastened a small sinker for a weight. Then he made a cast for the gun and secured it.

Slowly and cautiously, and keeping on the highest rocks they could find, the three young hunters commenced to retreat. They moved back at least fifty yards, and then made a wide detour along the hill skirting the watercourse. All this took time, and when they thought themselves safe it was growing dark.

"This doesn't look as if we were going to get to the cabin very fast," remarked Snap. "How much farther have we to go?"

"A good half mile," answered Shep.

"Then we might as well go on, even if it is night," put in Giant. "Perhaps we can catch that crazy fellow asleep and make him a prisoner. He ought to be arrested for stealing our things."

Presently the doctor's son came to a spot that looked familiar, and a minute later he pointed to a notch cut in a tree.

"That is my blaze," he said. "I made it so as to remember where the cabin was located. We'll be there in a few minutes more. Better keep quiet."

The others understood, and after that they advanced without speaking, unless it seemed necessary, and then only in a whisper. The sun had gone down, and it was as quiet as it was lonely.

The doctor's son was in the lead, and presently he halted and pointed ahead. There was the dilapidated cabin, just as it had been when visited by Shep and Whopper.

"See anybody?" asked Giant in a low voice.

"Not a soul."

"Supposing we walk around the place first?" suggested Snap.

The others agreed to this, and they circled the lonely structure at a distance of twenty yards. Nobody appeared, nor did they hear any sound from within.

"I may be mistaken, but it looks deserted to me," said Snap.

"Well, we thought it was deserted, too, until that fellow shied things at us," answered the doctor's son.

At last, growing a bit bolder, the three lads walked slowly up to the cabin, Snap and Giant with their guns ready for use and the doctor's son with a stout stick he had cut. Thus they reached the doorway, which was wide open. Shep looked in, shielding his head with one arm, for he did not know but what he might become the target for anything the strange creature living there should have in hand.

The place was pitch dark inside, and for the moment the doctor's son could see nothing. But as his eyes grew accustomed to the gloom he saw a broken table and an old bench, and several discarded articles of culinary ware.

"Do yo—-you se—-see him?" whispered Giant. He was so agitated he could scarcely frame the words.

Shep shook his head, and, growing still bolder, stepped into the lonely cabin. With added caution his two chums followed. They tiptoed their way through the two rooms and back again.

"He must have gone out," said Snap at last.

"Shall I make a light?" And as the others assented he struck a match and lit the pocket lantern he had brought along.

The rays of the small light revealed a curious scene to them. In a corner, where it had been hurled, lay Shep's gun. It had been discharged and the buckshot had gone through one sleeve of the shirt that had been stolen and which likewise lay in the corner. There was some blood on the shirt, and bloodstains led across the floor to the doorway and outside.

"Must have shot himself," was Snap's comment.

"Yes; and ran away after he did it," returned Giant.

"See anything of my watch?" asked Shep.

"No; and I don't see my belt or my camera, either," answered Snap.

"Or my sock," put in Giant.

The inner room of the cabin was littered up with a variety of things, the wings of birds, feathers of chickens, shells of eggs, bones, bits of tree branches, an old iron chain, a tiny square looking-glass, badly cracked, some stale bread and cake, cores of apples and pears, and a great mass of other trash.

"He's a regular pig," was Snap's comment.

"Wonder if he'll come back to-night?" was Giant's question.

"Perhaps, unless he was fatally wounded," answered Shep.

They made a thorough search for the missing watch, camera, and other things, but without success. Shep would not touch the shirt, and left it where it was. But he took the gun, and after examining it proceeded to load up the empty barrel.

"We'll go into camp near here," said the doctor's son. "And keep watch for the missing person, whoever he is."

They got supper and went into camp close to the rear of the cabin. They took turns at watching throughout the entire night, but nothing came to disturb them. Early in the morning they visited the cabin again, but found nothing new to interest them. Coming out, Giant started up two rabbits and quickly shot the game.

"Say, that will bring him back, if he's in this vicinity," cried Snap. "Perhaps it would have been better——-"

He stopped speaking, for as he spoke they heard another gunshot from the woods between them and the river. Then came a call that sounded somewhat familiar.



CHAPTER XXVII

AN OLD FRIEND APPEARS

"That can't be the wild man, can it?" queried Giant.

"No," answered the doctor's son. "I think I know that voice."

"I think it's Jed Sanborn," came from Snap.

They waited for a few minutes and then saw a familiar figure emerge from the woods. It was their old hunting friend, and in his hand he carried six partridges.

"Hello, there!" he cried on coming closer. "Thought you fellers was a-goin' up to the Windy Mountains?"

"We've been up—-have our camp there," answered the doctor's son. "We came down here for a purpose."

"Everything all right at home?" asked Giant.

"Yes. We had a scare day before yesterday, though. Hicks' barn got afire, an' folks thought the town might burn down, account o' the wind. But the bucket brigade an' the engine got the fire out before anything else caught."

"Are our folks all well?" asked Snap.

"Yes; an' hopin' you are the same, as they write in letters," and the old hunter grinned. "Had much luck shootin' and picter-takin'?"

"We are well satisfied," answered Shep. "Got quite some partridge and rabbits and some deer, and a lion——-"

"Oh, sure! A lion! Suppose ye got an ellerphant, and hoppo-what-you-call-'em, too?"

"We did get a lion," said Giant. "We've got him in a pit."

"See here, son, lions don't roam these woods, an' never did. You are mistook in the beast."

"It's the circus lion, Jed; the one that got away at Railings," explained Snap.

"Oh! Do ye really mean it?" And now Jed Sanborn was tremendously interested.

"Yes. We saw him on the mountain side and found a big pit and made a trap of it with some wildcat meat, and we caught him."

"Is he alive an' well?"

"Yes."

"Glory to Washington! Do you know them circus folks has offered a reward o' three hundred dollars fer that lion if caught alive?"

"Then the money is ours!" cried Shep. "Hurrah, boys, that suits me down to the ground!"

"Are you sure about the reward?" asked Snap.

"O' course—-I read the poster in the post-office. They'll give three hundred dollars fer the lion an' five hundred fer the eddicated chim—-what-you-call-him. You know."

"The educated chimpanzee," said Shep.

"That's it. It looks as if that chimpanzee was wuth a lot to them. He was a whole show in hisself."

"Well, we've got the lion right enough," said Snap. "We don't know anything about the monkey."

They told the old hunter about many of their doings, and related the story of the missing watch, camera, and other things.

"Why, I didn't know anybody lived in this cabin," said Jed Sanborn. "It's been empty ever since old Sturgis died—-about twelve years ago. He had some awful disease—-like smallpox—-and folks got scared to come here."

"Gracious! You don't suppose we'll get any disease?" cried Giant in alarm.

"Not from him, son—-it's too long ago. Why, say, I was at this cabin less than a month ago—-stopped here overnight account o' a rainstorm."

Wasn't nobuddy here then. It can't be Peter Peterson, can it?"

"No; it didn't look like Peterson," answered the doctor's son. "Besides, Peterson isn't so plumb crazy as this chap."

"I'll take a look around," answered Jed Sanborn.

He made the same investigation as had the boys. Then he got down on his hands and knees and examined the soft ground in and around the cabin.

"Say, did ye see anything o' a dog around here?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Giant. "That is, the circus boy we told you about has his dog with him—-a collie."

"Here's a trail looks something like a dog's, but not much. Plenty o' other footmarks—-but I reckon you made those."

What to do next the boys did not know. There was no telling what had become of the strange occupant of the lonely cabin, or when he would return.

"We'd like to let those circus folks know about the lion," said the doctor's son. "I suppose one of us will have to go back to town to send them word."

"I am going back to town to-morrow," answered the old hunter. "I can take word, if ye want me to."

"That will do first-rate," answered Shep. "We can send word where some of the men can meet us—-and in the meantime we can watch the lion, so that he doesn't get away, and doesn't die of hunger and thirst."

"Wild beasts can live a long time without food and drink," said Jed Sanborn. "But the gittin' away is another story. Better watch him putty closely."

After a good deal of talking the boys decided to return to their camp. It was arranged that the old hunter should depart for town at once, find out where the circus was, and inform the proprietor that the lion was found. Then, when a circus representative appeared, Sanborn was to meet him, arrange to cage the lion, and meet the boys at their camp, the location of which they described in such a manner that it could not be missed. Sanborn said the circus manager had found out that the three discharged employees were guilty of letting the animals escape, and the men were now in jail.

"Tell our folks that we are well and having a grand time," said Snap, and Sanborn promised to do so.

After a hearty dinner, at which the old hunter ate his fill of the things cooked by Giant, the boys and the old hunter separated, and Shep and his chums struck out for the camp. It was still warm, so the doctor's son did not mind the loss of his shirt. He had more at the camp, so the loss did not matter much.

"I am glad we saw Jed," said Shep as they trudged along. "That will save us the trip to town. I hope he gets the circus folks here soon."

"Tommy won't want to see them," said Giant. "He told me he never wanted to see the inside of a circus tent again."

"And I don't blame him," returned Snap. "Well, he can easily keep out of the way, and we needn't say anything about him."

"Wonder what he'll do after we go home?"

"I've got an idea," came from the doctor's son. "Let us take him with us and do what we can to find his sister. If we can't find her, let us see if we can't find a home for him and put him to school. He ought to get an education."

"I'm willing to do what I can," said Snap readily. His eyes brightened. "We might spend some of that reward for the lion on Tommy. I'd be willing to put in my share."

"So would I," answered Shep.

In the middle of the afternoon they reached a beauwul spot in the mountains, where a rocky stream formed a series of waterfalls. This locality had been mentioned by Dr. Reed, and they spent some time getting different pictures of it, Snap assisting the others, since he had no camera of his own.

"I hope I get that camera back," he said.

"We all hope that," returned Giant. "The wild man can keep my sock—-I shouldn't want to touch it after he had it."

The water at the foot of the falls looked good for fishing, and Giant pleaded for permission to fish for a quarter of an hour or so. This was granted, and he promptly baited up and threw in. As a consequence he soon caught a beautiful brook trout, and several more followed.

"Wait; I'll take a snapshot of hauling in the next fish," said the doctor's son, and he succeeded in getting a view that later on turned out exceedingly well.

Not having anything else to do, Snap wandered down the brook for a distance of a hundred yards. He was on the point of turning back when he saw something at a distance, moving among the brushwood. He looked sharply for a moment and then discovered that it was a large black bear.



CHAPTER XXVIII

AFTER A BLACK BEAR

"Shep! Giant! Quick!"

"What's the matter, Snap?"

"A bear! Down the stream! Come on with the guns!" went on Snap excitedly. He had returned hot-footed to where he had left his chums and the firearms.

"Are you sure?" queried the doctor's son as he dropped his camera and grabbed up his shotgun.

"Dead certain—-but I don't know how long he will stay there. Oh, if I had only had my gun with me!" groaned Snap. "I could have brought him down as easy as pie!"

"Aren't you going to take your camera?" asked Giant as he drew in his line and took both his photo outfit and his firearm.

"Yes, I forgot," said the doctor's son, and picked up his camera again. "Don't shoot till we get a snapshot," he said to Snap, who, gun in hand, was already off.

"All right; but we don't want to lose the bear," answered the other young hunter.

"Of course not!"

With Snap in the lead, the three boys sneaked swiftly but silently down the mountain brook until they came to the spot from which Snap had discovered the bear. Here they halted, and the others looked enquiringly at their leader.

"I saw him right over yonder," whispered Snap. "Go slow, now, or you'll scare him."

With bated breath the three young hunters advanced down the tiny stream. They gained the shelter of some dense brushwood and gazed around eagerly. Not a sign of a bear was to be seen anywhere.

"Maybe you were dreaming, Snap," murmured Giant.

"No, I wasn't—-I saw him just as plain as day."

"Then he must have seen you running back to the pool, and he must have took out, too."

"Perhaps; but I was very careful to keep out of sight."

They advanced a little farther, and now saw ahead of them a slight hollow, where there was another waterfall, sheltered on either side by sharp rocks.

"There he is!" whispered the doctor's son excitedly, and pointed down to the pool at the foot of the falls. The black bear was there, getting a drink.

"We can't take a picture from here," said Giant disappointedly. "What shall we do—-fire?"

"Oh, we ought to have a picture of him," pleaded Shep. "It would be just the thing for our collection."

"Let me suggest something," said Snap. "I haven't any camera, so I'll stay here. You two can make a half circle and come up below and kind of head the bear off. If he starts to run before you get ready I'll fire at him."

So it was agreed, and Shep and Giant hurried off without delay, making a wide detour through the woods and over the rocks. They could not help making a little noise, but this was, as they rightfully reasoned, drowned out by the falling of the waters.

In the meantime Snap kept careful watch of the bear. The animal took his time drinking, raising his head several times to look around him. But he did not turn his gaze upward, and consequently did not discover the young hunter, who stood with weapon aimed, ready to fire at a moment's warning.

Fully five minutes passed, and then the bear stretched himself and commenced to sniff the air. Then, of a sudden, he arose on his hind legs to get a better look at his surroundings.

"This is the time they ought to get their pictures," thought Snap.

An instant later he saw something fluttering in the bushes below the pool. Shep and Giant were there and had their cameras in action. The bear continued to stand upright, but presently he dropped on all fours and began to lumber away from the brook at a good rate of speed.

To have waited longer would have been foolish, and taking careful aim, Snap fired his shotgun twice. Scarcely had the two reports rung out than Giant also fired, followed, a few seconds later, by the doctor's son.

The aims of all three of the young hunters were true, and the bear received such a peppering of buckshot that he was seriously if not mortally wounded. He dropped down, dragged himself up again, and roared with rage and pain.

"Give him another!" yelled Snap as he started to reload.

Giant was the first to run into the opening, and as the bear saw the youth he snarled viciously and showed his teeth. He tried to rush at the boy, but Giant discharged the second barrel of his shotgun and the charge took the bear in the head. Then the doctor's son fired again, and hit the animal in the side. This was too much for bruin, and with a rocking motion he staggered forward a few steps and then pitched on his head, dead.

"We've got him! We've got him!" yelled the small youth, dancing around wildly and flinging his cap into the air. "Isn't this the dandy luck?"

"Did you get the pictures?" questioned Snap, leaping down the rocks to where the game lay.

"We sure did," answered the doctor's son. "And I've got one of you aiming your gun right at the bear. I tilted the camera up a little to get it."

"What a fine bear!" cried Giant.

"We never got a better," answered Snap. "Oh, this is certainly prime luck!"

"We'll have to take some more pictures—-of our game," said Shep, and without delay they took several plates and films—-the two cameras being of each kind. All the boys were in the pictures, and of these photographs they were justly proud.

"Now, the question is, what are we going to do with the bear?" said Snap. "We can't drag such a load to our camp."

"We'll have to skin the animal and take what meat we want," answered the doctor's son. "It's too bad to leave so much behind, but it can't be helped. It won't keep in this weather, anyway."

"If only Jed Sanborn was here—-he might take some of it home."

"I'll tell you what we can do," said Giant. "Try to drag the carcass—-or a big part of it—-up to the lion's pit. It will help to feed that beast until the circus folks come."

"That's an idea," said Shep. "And if we keep the lion well fed he won't try so hard to get away. Menagerie animals are always lazy when well fed—-one of the keepers told me that. They only get restless when they are hungry."

It took the boys some time to skin the dead bear and cut away such meat as they thought they could tote along. The rest of the meat they hung in a tree, thinking they might possibly come back for it later. Then they started once more for camp.

"I hope the Spink crowd hasn't been bothering Whopper and Tommy since we have been away," said Snap. "If they have——-"

"Don't borrow trouble," interrupted the doctor's son. "Wait till it comes."

With their heavy loads, they made slow progress through the woods, and they were glad when they reached the lion pit and could dispose of some of the bear meat. The lion greeted them with a roar, but that was all. He had not yet eaten the second wildcat; nevertheless, they threw to him a chunk of the bear meat, the fresh blood of which was very much to his satisfaction.

It was late when they reached camp, thoroughly tired out. Whopper and Tommy were glad to see them, and immediately bustled about to get them a good supper. Those left behind listened with interest to the tale the others had to tell. When Shep told about the tracks around the lonely cabin, tracks that had caused Jed Sanborn to ask if they had seen a dog, Tommy looked greatly interested.

"Say!" he cried. "Do you suppose——-" And then he stopped short.

"Do we suppose what?" queried Shep.

"Oh, I suppose it couldn't be, but I was just thinking. Maybe that isn't a crazy man at all."

"Well, what do you think it can be?" asked Giant.

"Maybe it's Abe, the runaway chimpanzee."



CHAPTER XXIX

THE BOTTOM OF A MYSTERY

All the others listened to Tommy's words with interest. Then Whopper spoke of the face he had seen as looking particularly impish.

"It was pretty dark, so we couldn't see very well," said he. "It might have been the chimpanzee."

"Would that chimpanzee steal a watch, and a camera, and a gun?" demanded the doctor's son.

"He'll take whatever happens to interest him," answered the boy from the circus. "They are constantly trying to teach him new tricks. If you'll remember, one of his tricks is to fire a gun into the air. And another is to look at a watch and pretend to tell the time."

"That's so!" cried Snap. "I saw him do both at the show."

"Would he untie our boat?" asked Giant.

"He might."

"If it is the chimpanzee we'll have a hard job of it catching him," said Shep slowly. "He won't stay at the cabin, but roam from place to place—-and there is no telling what he'll do with our things."

"Don't forget the reward that has been offered," said Giant. "If we can find the chimpanzee we can get that as well as the reward for the lion."

Whopper and Tommy had not been bothered by the Spink crowd, and were of the opinion that the latter had shifted their camp to a new locality, closer to the lake.

"Well, let them keep their distance, that's all I ask," said the doctor's son.

The next day Snap, Shep and Giant rested, while Whopper and Tommy went on a short hunt, bringing in some partridges and several squirrels. The boys took a few pictures, Snap using an extra camera that had been brought along. They now had a fine collection, of which they were exceedingly proud.

Sunday passed, and still they heard nothing from Jed Sanborn. The boys went hunting several times and brought in a variety of small game. They made a trip to the mountain-top and got several more photographs of value. Films and plates were carefully stored away in water-and-light-tight cases.

"I am sure my father will be greatly pleased when he sees what we have accomplished," said Shep. "I don't believe he thought we could do so well."

On Tuesday morning, just after breakfast, the young hunters heard somebody coming through the woods toward them. Wags set up a violent barking.

"Maybe it's Sanborn with the circus folks," said Whopper.

"Oh, what shall I do?" asked Tommy in alarm. "I don't want them to see me."

"It's the Spink crowd!" cried Giant. "Say, something must be wrong! Look how excited they are!"

"We ought to shoot 'em—-that's what we ought to do!" they heard Carl Dudder say loudly.

"We'll make 'em pay for the things, that's what we'll make 'em do," answered Ham Spink.

"Call off your dog, you rascals!" sang out Dick Bush, for Wags had walked toward him, barking angrily.

"Come here, Wags!" cried Tommy, and the collie obeyed instantly. But he evidently knew that the newcomers were enemies, for he continued to eye them suspiciously.

"Think you're smart, don't you?" roared Ham Spink, striding into the camp and facing Shep and Snap. "Well, I want you to know that you have gone too far. You've got to pay damages, or we'll have you all locked up."

"You've got to pay for my new suit of clothes," said Ike Akley. "It is utterly ruined."

"And my sweater," said Dick Bush.

"And I want to know where my shoes are?" put in Carl Dudder. "And my briar-root pipe and tobacco."

"Yes, and my silver matchcase, and a whole lot of other things," said Ham Spink.

"Yes; and what right had you to make a roughhouse of our camp?" demanded another boy.

"All of our stores are ruined," put in still another.

"It was mean to scatter that coffee in the mud!"

"And the sugar and beans!"

"Yes; and put the salt in the flour!"

So the talk ran on, the newcomers getting more and more excited every moment. They had their guns with them, and looked as if they meant to do serious harm to our friends.

"See here, what are you talking about?" asked the doctor's son at last. "I can't make head or tail of it." He realized that something unusual had occurred.

This brought forth another volley of accusations from the Spink crowd. Their camp had been "rough-housed" to the last degree, and many things had been utterly ruined, while other articles were missing. They were sure that Shep and his chums were guilty of the crime.

"You are all wrong," cried Snap. "We haven't been near your camp."

"That's the truth," added Shep.

"I don't believe it," cried Carl Dudder.

"But it is true—-every word of it," came from Giant, and Whopper and Tommy said the same.

"You've been there—-and you have our things," said Ike Akley doggedly.

"If you want to do so, you can search this camp," said Shep. "But don't you harm any of our goods."

"Do you mean to say you didn't come to our camp last night?" demanded Ham.

"I certainly do say it," answered the doctor's son. "All we did was to hide that boat, and we did that because we knew you wanted to hide ours."

"Huh! How did you know that?"

"Because we heard you talking about it, on the way to the lake."

"Well, if you didn't come to our camp last night, who did?" asked Dick Bush. He was commencing to realize that a mistake had been made.

"Don't ask me," answered Snap. "But, honor bright, we weren't near your camp, Dick."

"Maybe it was the chimpanzee!" cried Tommy.

"Eh?" queried Ham.

In a few brief words the Spink crowd were told of what had happened at the cabin, at the cliff, and at the lake shore. No mention was made of the capture of the lion.

"We think it was the chimpanzee," said Snap. "But we may be mistaken—-it may be a crazy man."

More talk followed, and in the end Snap and his chums agreed to visit the wrecked camp and take a look around. They left Tommy in charge of their own camp and warned him to keep strict guard.

It was a walk of half a mile, and the boys covered it in less than half an hour. Snap was in advance, with Ham by his side. Ham still thought our friends guilty of what had occurred.

"Here's our camp—-or what's left of it," said Ham as they came to the clearing. "Now, if you——-"

He stopped short and gazed ahead, with eyes bulging from his head. Snap gave a yell.

"Boys, here he is! The chimpanzee, and he's having a high old time!"

All of the others rushed forward, and saw a sight that filled some with rage and others with laughter. Sure enough, Abe, the educated chimpanzee, was there, and was evidently having the time of his life. He had on a highly-colored dress shirt, a cap and one shoe, and was amusing himself by tearing a hunting suit belonging to Ham into shreds.

"The chimpanzee, sure enough!"

"Look what he is doing!"

"Shoot him! Shoot the rascal!"

So the cries rang out. The chimpanzee looked up in alarm. Then, as several guns were raised, he leaped out of sight behind some bushes and went off, chattering wildly as he disappeared.



CHAPTER XXX

GOOD-BY TO THE BOY HUNTERS

"I'll kill that monkey!" roared Ham as he ran into the camp and picked up his ruined clothing. "Look at this!"

"And this!" added Carl Dudder, snatching up the remains of his sleeping blanket.

"It was the chimpanzee, sure enough," said Dick Bush.

"Come on after him!" exclaimed Shep. "Remember the reward," he whispered to his chums.

All presently made off after the chimpanzee. They kept in a bunch at first, but gradually separated, the Spink crowd going one way and Snap and his chums in another.

"I'm glad we caught sight of him as we did," said Whopper. "Now those fellows know we were not guilty of the rough-housing."

"It certainly was rough," was Giant's comment. "Three-quarters of their things are ruined."

"Perhaps they can hold the circus proprietor responsible," said the doctor's son.

They moved forward for nearly a quarter of a mile, and were on the point of giving up the search and returning to camp when Giant caught sight of a small, cave-like opening on the mountain side.

"Let's look in there," he said. "See, there is a vest on the ground in front of it!"

"Be careful—-the chimpanzee may be dangerous!" warned Snap.

They hurried forward, with eyes and ears on the alert. Giant looked into the opening.

"No monkey here," he announced. "But he has been here. Look!"

And much to Snap's delight he held up the missing camera. Then he ran into the cave and came forth with Shep's watch, and a number of trinkets taken from the Spink camp.

"He must have come here after he left the old cabin," said Snap. "See, there is some food. He must have gotten that last night, when he raided Spink's place."

They took with them all the things to be found, and then made another search for the chimpanzee. But they could not locate the marauding creature, and so turned their steps toward their camp.

"Well, we've got a few of those others fellows' things for them," said Whopper. "We can return them after dinner."

"The camera is O.K.," said Snap, after an examination.

"And so is the watch," came from the doctor's son.

"And to think it was only a chimpanzee, after all!" cried Giant.

"'Only' is good!" exclaimed Shep. "He's had enough for anybody, I'm thinking!"

As they came closer to their camp they heard Tommy talking in a loud voice to somebody. Wags was barking gaily.

"Now you sit still and behave yourself," the circus boy was saying. "Then you'll get a fine lump of sugar."

"Talking to the dog, I suppose," said Whopper. "He thinks Wags——-No, he isn't, either. Well, I never! If this doesn't beat anything I ever saw!"

All came into the clearing and gazed in amazement at the sight presented. Chained to a tree was Abe, the chimpanzee, smiling and chattering, and in front of him were Tommy and the dog, the former with some sugar in his hand.

"Hullo!" cried Snap. "Did you catch him?"

"I certainly did!" answered the circus boy. "But I had the time of my life doing it. He ran up a tree, and he wouldn't come down until I offered him a handful of those nuts I found yesterday. They were too much of a temptation, and while I fed him nuts with one hand I took the kettle chain and tied him up as you see."

"Good for you!" said Whopper. "He must have known you, or I guess he would have run away."

"Yes, he started to run away, but I whistled like his keeper used to whistle, and that made him sit still."

"You want to make sure of that chain," said the doctor's son. "I see he has Snap's belt on," he added with a grin.

"I'll tie him with a rope," answered Tommy, and later the chimpanzee was firmly secured, so that escape was out of the question. As the young hunters fed him well, he seemed quite content.

"Tommy, this is an important capture for you," said Shep. "It's money in your pocket. The circus proprietor has offered five hundred dollars reward for the capture of this chimpanzee."

"Five hundred dollars!" gasped the little fellow. "But they won't pay it to me!" he added, as his face fell.

"We'll make them pay—-if they want the animal," answered Snap.

"But I don't want them to see me," insisted Tommy.

"See here, Tommy, you leave this matter to us," said the doctor's son. "I don't think they can compel you to go with the circus. We'll take you to Fairview, and you can remain with us until we hear from your sister."

"All right; but if they take me I'll run away again," answered the boy.

A little later the Spink crowd came into camp and were astonished to learn of the capture of the chimpanzee. They were glad to get back the things that had been found, but declared that so many other articles had been ruined they would have to give up their outing.

"Let's be generous to them," whispered Shep to his chums. "I don't think we want to stay after the circus people come for the lion and the chimpanzee." And after some talking the young hunters offered the Spink crowd part of their food supplies and a few other things. This surprised Ham, Carl and the rest. They accepted the offer on the spot, and a better feeling prevailed between the boys than had for many months.

"It's very nice of you to do this," said Dick Bush. "I shan't forget it."

"I'm sorry I accused you of ruining the camp," came from Ham.

"So am I," added Carl. "But—-well, you know how it was."

"We'll let bygones be bygones," said the doctor's son. "It's better to be friends than enemies."

"I—-I suppose so," said Ham humbly, and then he and his cronies took their departure.

The young hunters watched out for the reappearance of Jed Sanborn, Snap and Shep going to Firefly Lake for that purpose. Two days later they saw the old hunter coming to the shore with a big flat-bottomed boat, containing four men. The men were from the circus and said they had come for the captured lion.

"We want to make sure of that reward," said the doctor's son.

"All right, young man, turn the lion over to us and the money is yours," said one of the men. "But we'll want a receipt from all the boys who captured the beast."

"You'll get that," said Snap. "You offered a reward for the chimpanzee, too, didn't you?"

"Certainly; five hundred dollars."

"Well, we've got him, too."

"You have? How did you do it?" asked the man, and very briefly Snap related the tale, but did not give Tommy's name.

"That boy is in luck, for the half thousand is his," said the circus man. "Glad you got Abe," he added. "He is a great drawing-card and worth a dozen lions to us."

A visit was made to the lion pit, and after a good deal of trouble the lion was brought to the surface of the ground and chained and muzzled. One of the men knew the beast well and had little trouble in walking the lion to the lake shore, where he was chained to a tree, and left in charge of one of the party.

The circus men were vastly surprised when they learned that it was Tommy who had captured the chimpanzee. At first they did not think they ought to pay the lad the reward, but Shep told them they could not have Abe unless they did so.

"A bargain is a bargain," said the doctor's son. "You'll not touch the chimpanzee unless you pay up."

The matter was argued hotly, but in the end the circus men gave in, and two checks were made out, both payable to Dr. Reed, and the boys signed the receipts. Then the circus men took the chimpanzee, and walked down to the lake shore.

"Guess you don't want Tommy any more," cried Shep after them.

"No; we've got another kid to take his place," answered one of the men.

"They'll have their hands full getting that lion and the chimpanzee to town," said Snap, and he was right. But the work was accomplished by the next day, and the pair were shipped on to the circus by train.

The young hunters remained in camp forty-eight hours longer, and then packed up and moved down to Firefly Lake. Just previous to going they let the Spink crowd have some more of their things, for which the other lads were extremely grateful.

"Guess we better be friends after this," said Ham Spink. "It doesn't pay to be on the outs."

"It doesn't," answered Shep readily.

On the return to Fairview the boy hunters camped out three nights, and shot a variety of small game and also a deer. They took the latter home and also the skin of the bear, which was afterward cured and is now on the floor of the Dodge parlor."

"You have done exceedingly well," said Dr. Reed, when he had heard their story and gone over their films and plates and pictures. "These will make a grand collection, and are just what we wanted for advertising purposes."

THE END