PREFACE

My Dear Lads: 

This story is complete in itself, but forms volume four in a line known by the general title of “Boy Hunters Series,” taking in adventures with rod, rifle, shotgun and camera, in the field, the forest, and on river and lake, both in winter and summer.

My main object in writing this series of books is to acquaint lads with life in the open air, and cause them to become interested in nature.  In the first volume, called “Four Boy Hunters,” I told how the youths organized their little club and went forth for a summer vacation; in the second book, “Guns and Snowshoes,” I gave the particulars of a midwinter outing, with its heavy falls of snow, its blizzard, and its most remarkable Christmas in the wilds.

With the coming of another summer the boys determined to go forth once more, and what they did then has been told in the third book, entitled “Young Hunters of the Lake.”  They had a glorious time, in spite of some enemies who tried to do them harm, and they settled the matter of certain “ghost” to their entire satisfaction.

The settling of the ghost question took them home before the summer vacation was half over, and then the boys began to wonder what they had best do next.  But that question was soon answered by an announcement made by the father of one of the lads; and once again they went forth, this time, however, to the distant mountains.  Here they hunted and fished to their hearts’ content, and likewise took a large number of photographs, some of the pictures causing them a good deal of trouble and peril to obtain.

Trusting that all boys who love to hunt and to fish and to take pictures with a camera will find this volume to their liking, I remain, Your sincere friend, Captain Ralph Bonehill.

CHAPTER I

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

“Come on, Shep.”

“Where are you going, Whopper?”

“For a row on the river.  I’ve been aching for a row for about a year.”

“That suits me,” answered Sheppard Reed, as he hopped down from the fence upon which he had been sitting.  “What about the others?”

“Snap said he would meet me at the dock,” continued Frank Dawson, otherwise known as Whopper.  “I don’t know where Giant is.”

“I saw him about an hour ago.  He was on an errand for his mother—–­said he was going to Perry’s store.”

“Then we can look in Perry’s.  If he isn’t there I’ll run over to his house for him.  It’s a grand day for a row.”

“Yes, we must get him if we can,” went on Sheppard Reed thoughtfully.  “I’ve got something to tell the crowd.”

“To tell the crowd?” repeated Frank Dawson curiously.  “What?”

“I’ll tell you when we are all together, Whopper.”

“Something about Ham Spink?  I met him last night and we almost had a fight.  Oh, that dude makes me sick!”