“Who is out there?” It was Shep who asked the question.

“It is I, Snap,” was the reply.

“What’s wrong?” And now the doctor’s son poked his head from the shelter.

“I heard a fox and thought I’d shoot him——­but he ran away,” said Snap.  He was in no humor to tell about the empty shotgun, for he did not wish his chum to have the laugh on him.

“Oh, is that all.  Say, do you know it’s cold?”

“Yes, and that is why I am stirring up the fire,” answered Snap.

“Do you know, I had an awful dream,” continued the doctor’s son.  “It has left me wideawake.”

“Better go to sleep, Shep, or you’ll be fagged out in the morning.”

“I dreamed somebody ran away with our boat and all our supplies,” went on Shep.  “We didn’t have a thing left, and we were in our nightclothes!”

“You must have been thinking of Ham Spink and Carl Dudder, and what they did last year.”

“Maybe.  Of course the boat and outfit are safe,” went on the doctor’s son.

“I suppose so—–­I haven’t looked.”

“Just take a look before you turn in, will you?”

“Yes.”

Shep’s head disappeared, and Snap finished fixing the fire.  Then he turned to the lake, where the boat with the most of the outfit had been left, tied to an overhanging tree.

The craft with its contents was gone!

Snap could scarcely believe the evidence of his senses.  He pinched himself, to make certain that he was awake.  It was true—–­the craft was nowhere in sight.

At first he thought to arouse the others but then concluded to look for the boat first.  Perhaps it had only broken away and was drifting close by.  If so he would bring it back and fasten it securely without giving the alarm.

But a five-minutes’ hunt convinced Snap that the rowboat with its valuable contents was nowhere in that vicinity, and then he ran back to the tent much disturbed.

“Get up, you fellows!” he called.  “Get up!  The boat is gone!”

At first nobody paid attention, for even Shep was asleep once more.  But then Giant roused up, quickly followed by his chums.

“What’s the matter?”

“The boat and our outfit is gone!”

“Gone!”

“Why—–­er—–­I dreamed it!” stammered the doctor’s son.  “Am I awake or asleep?”

“You’re awake,” answered Snap, and then he continued hurriedly:  “Shep, do you think you heard somebody take the boat while you were in a doze and so imagined you dreamed it?”

“I—–­er—–­I don’t know.  No, I don’t think I did—–­my dream was so unnatural.  Come to think of it, the boat had wings and flew away.  Now, that couldn’t happen.”

“Not unless some wizard turned the craft into an airship,” answered Whopper.

All were soon at the water’s edge and looking in all directions for the missing rowboat.  What had been left of the outfit had been stored in the stern and tied down with a rubber cloth, to keep off the heavy dew.  They stirred up the campfire still more, and each provided himself with a firebrand as a torch.