“Come here!” said Giant in a low voice, and instantly the dog nestled down at his side, and there he remained until daylight.

“We can take him in some of our pictures,” said the small youth.  “He’ll add to the picturesqueness.”

“What are you going to call him?” asked Whopper.

“Sphinx.”

“And why Sphinx?” asked Snap.

“Because he won’t tell us who he is, where he came from, or anything about himself.”

“Oh, that’s not a pretty name,” cried the doctor’s son.  “I vote we call him Wags, because he wags his tail so much.”

“All right, Wags it is,” said Giant.  “What do you say, Wags?” he added, turning to the dog.

The collie barked and wagged his tail vigorously.  Evidently he was perfectly satisfied.

As the lads had no more game or fish to eat, they made a hasty meal of bacon, bread, crullers and coffee.  As soon as the repast was over they took down the tent and placed that and the other things on board the rowboat.  The collie had been fed and was more frisky than ever.

“Wonder if he’ll go into the boat with us?” said Snap.  “Some dogs don’t like the water.”

“Most collies do,” answered Giant.  “I’ll try him.”  He called Wags, and the dog leaped into the craft and took his place at the bow.

“He’ll do for a lookout,” said Whopper.  “Come on, it’s time to start.”

They looked around the temporary camp, to make certain that nothing had been left behind, then entered the rowboat and shoved off.  Snap and Whopper took the oars, and soon they were on the journey up Lake Cameron to Firefly Lake.

“Don’t forget one thing,” said Snap shortly after starting.  “If possible we want to bring down some sort of game for dinner.  It won’t do to use up our canned things and that stuff.”

“Everybody watch out,” said Giant.  “And if we can’t shoot something, why, toward dinner time, I’ll try my hand at fishing again.”

CHAPTER IX

INTO THE RAPIDS

It was another ideal day, and the young hunters felt in the best of spirits.  Whopper felt so good that presently he burst out singing an old school song, and the others joined in.

“That’s all right, and very good, but if we want any game we’ve got to keep quiet,” said the doctor’s son after the song was ended.

“Right you are,” answered Whopper promptly.  “And as I’d rather eat later than sing now I’ll shut up.”

They followed the shore line of Lake Cameron, heading for the rocky watercourse that connected that body of water with Firefly Lake.  The eyes of all were on the alert for game, and toward the middle of the forenoon Giant called a halt.

“I saw something in the trees yonder,” he said, pointing ashore.  “Looked to me as if they might be partridge.”

“Partridge would suit me first rate,” answered Snap.  “Let us land and try our luck.”