“If you’ve been sleeping, with your back against that tree, from one in the morning, you must be as stiff and lame as you could possibly be,” Reade suggested.

“I am pretty lame,” Darrin confessed.

“Are you fellows ever going to hustle about and make some moves toward getting breakfast?” inquired young Prescott.

“What have you been doing in that line?” Danny Grin wanted to know.

For answer Dick Prescott pointed to the merrily blazing campfire and the steaming kettle of water.

“I am ready to do a lot more, too,” Dick added, “as soon as the rest of you will show signs of life.”

At that there was a general bustling.

“Why didn’t you wake me up in time to save me from all the joshing?” Darry demanded, with a note of reproach in his voice, as soon as he got a chance to speak with Dick alone.  “Tom Reade won’t be through all summer with tormenting me about being asleep at the switch.”

“No one would have known anything about it, if you hadn’t given it away yourself, both by look and words,” Prescott returned.  “I hadn’t said a word that enlightened anyone.”

Breakfast was soon ready, for hungry boys, in the woods, are always ready to eat.

While the meal was being disposed of Prescott told his chums of the visit during the night, and of his own share and Dave’s in trying to nab the tantalizing prowler.

“How many such regiments of guards as Darry, would it take to guard this camp properly at night?” asked Tom dryly.

“It seems to me,” Prescott remarked, “that you fellows will do very well to sing mighty low about Dave’s drowsiness.  When I had to call for help last night he was the only one with an ear quick enough to hear me and come to my support.  What was the matter with the rest of you, sleepy heads, or did you hear and feel that it might be dangerous to turn out in the middle of the night?”

That last taunt had the desired effect.  Darrin was allowed to eat his breakfast in peace.

After the meal was over the boys sat around the camp for a few minutes.  Each hated to be the first to make a move toward the drudgery of dish-washing and camp cleaning.

“After we get things to rights,” inquired Reade, “what is to be the programme for the day?”

“There’s a pond east of us that is said to hold perch,” Dave answered.  “I’m going to take fishing tackle and go in search of a mess of fish.  Anyone going with me?”

“I will,” offered Danny Grin.

“As for me,” spoke up Tom, “I have a line on a place where blueberries grow in profusion.  Harry, will you go along with me and pick berries?”

“If it isn’t over five miles away,” Hazelton assented cautiously.

“Then what are we going to do!” asked Greg Holmes, turning to Prescott.

“From the plans we’ve heard laid down,” smiled Dick, “I think we will have to stay right here and keep the prowler from dropping in to carry away the rest of our provisions.”