“I smell something that smells mighty good,” sniffed Dave.  “Did any of you fellows recover the steaks?  Have you been keeping something back from me?”

“I don’t believe you’ll find the steaks in camp,” Dick retorted, “but you’ll find something that will taste fully as good.”

With that the quartette charged into camp.  Everything was ready for the table by the time each fellow had washed his hands and face in the one tin basin that served the camp.

“Put one of those lanterns on the table, Dan,” called Dick, as he finished drying himself on a towel.  “Another night, if we eat after dark, we’ll try to have a campfire that’ll light the place up like an electric light.”

“Another night, unless some of our neighbors move,” predicted Darry, “we won’t have food enough left to make it worth while to try to have supper!”

The boys sat down in great good humor, even Dave softening when he saw the bountiful supper that had been prepared.  Not one of them felt nervous about the possible nearness of the late prowler.  The boys were six to one, whoever the prowler might be.  Besides, this mysterious stranger seemed to prefer humor to violence.

Yet, all the time they were eating and chattering—–­and Dick did his full share of both that young man, Prescott, was also busily thinking up plans by means of which he hoped to be able to gain a closer view of the recent prowler.

Of these plans he said no word to his chums, for there was more than a chance that the human mystery of the woods was even then within earshot, off under the shadows among the trees.

CHAPTER V

DICK GRAPPLES IN THE DARK

At last the meal was finished, this time without the help of the prowler.  Dave and Dan washed the dishes, while Tom and Harry carried water enough to fill the hogshead that had been brought along as part of their camp equipment.

At the same time, Dick and Greg unstrapped and set up the six light-weight folding canvas cots, standing them in a row in the tent.  Next they arranged the bedding that had been loaned by mothers at home, and made up the six beds.  Enough fuel to start a fire in the morning was also brought in.

“And now, what did we come out here in the woods for?” inquired Dick smilingly.

“To get our fill of sleep,” yawned Tom.

“To eat,” suggested Hazelton hopefully.

“To fish,” added Dave Darrin promptly.

“Just to lie down and take things easy,” declared Danny Grin.

“As for me,” piped up Greg Holmes, “I’m not going to bother my head, to-night, as to why we came here.  I’m going to get a ten hour nap, and in the morning I’ll try to solve the riddle for you, Dick, of why we came here.”

A tired lot of boys, not really ready, as yet, to admit that they were used up, lay down on their cots without undressing.  They intended, later, to get into their pajamas.