“Tell our folks that we are well and having a grand time,” said Snap, and Sanborn promised to do so.

After a hearty dinner, at which the old hunter ate his fill of the things cooked by Giant, the boys and the old hunter separated, and Shep and his chums struck out for the camp.  It was still warm, so the doctor’s son did not mind the loss of his shirt.  He had more at the camp, so the loss did not matter much.

“I am glad we saw Jed,” said Shep as they trudged along.  “That will save us the trip to town.  I hope he gets the circus folks here soon.”

“Tommy won’t want to see them,” said Giant.  “He told me he never wanted to see the inside of a circus tent again.”

“And I don’t blame him,” returned Snap.  “Well, he can easily keep out of the way, and we needn’t say anything about him.”

“Wonder what he’ll do after we go home?”

“I’ve got an idea,” came from the doctor’s son.  “Let us take him with us and do what we can to find his sister.  If we can’t find her, let us see if we can’t find a home for him and put him to school.  He ought to get an education.”

“I’m willing to do what I can,” said Snap readily.  His eyes brightened.  “We might spend some of that reward for the lion on Tommy.  I’d be willing to put in my share.”

“So would I,” answered Shep.

In the middle of the afternoon they reached a beauwul spot in the mountains, where a rocky stream formed a series of waterfalls.  This locality had been mentioned by Dr. Reed, and they spent some time getting different pictures of it, Snap assisting the others, since he had no camera of his own.

“I hope I get that camera back,” he said.

“We all hope that,” returned Giant.  “The wild man can keep my sock—–­I shouldn’t want to touch it after he had it.”

The water at the foot of the falls looked good for fishing, and Giant pleaded for permission to fish for a quarter of an hour or so.  This was granted, and he promptly baited up and threw in.  As a consequence he soon caught a beautiful brook trout, and several more followed.

“Wait; I’ll take a snapshot of hauling in the next fish,” said the doctor’s son, and he succeeded in getting a view that later on turned out exceedingly well.

Not having anything else to do, Snap wandered down the brook for a distance of a hundred yards.  He was on the point of turning back when he saw something at a distance, moving among the brushwood.  He looked sharply for a moment and then discovered that it was a large black bear.

CHAPTER XXVIII

AFTER A BLACK BEAR

“Shep!  Giant!  Quick!”

“What’s the matter, Snap?”

“A bear!  Down the stream!  Come on with the guns!” went on Snap excitedly.  He had returned hot-footed to where he had left his chums and the firearms.

“Are you sure?” queried the doctor’s son as he dropped his camera and grabbed up his shotgun.