“Only a rabbit,” he announced.  “But that is better than nothing.”

“I should say it was,” answered Giant, readily.  “I’d like to bring down a game-bag full of them.  Think of the rabbit pot-pie we could make!”

“Here goes for something,” whispered Shep, and fired at a squirrel running around on a fallen tree.  But the little creature was too nimble for him and got away unharmed.

“There is no use of my trying to get a shot at anything,” announced Giant.  “The noise has scared away the rest of the game.  As soon as we land I am going to try my hand at fishing.”

“You can do that now,” replied Snap.  “I’ll take your oar.  There are some flies in yonder little red box, and the white box had a few worms in it.”

“I’ll try a worm and look for a perch or two,” answered the small lad.

He soon had his line out and baited up and began to troll at the end of the boat.  In a few minutes he got a bite and pulled up a fair-sized perch.  A sunfish followed, then a sucker, and then two more perch.

“What’s the matter with that?” he asked, rather proudly.

“Nothing at all, Giant,” answered Shep.  “Shall I help?”

Giant agreed, and soon Shep had brought in another perch.  By this time they had come to a suitable landing, and the rowboat was turned in and hauled well up on the shelving shore.

“I fancy this will make a good camping spot for to-night;” said Snap.  “In the morning we can decide upon what we want to do next.”

“All right,” said Shep.  “Let us start up a camp-fire and make ourselves ‘to hum,’ as the old folks used to say.”

Any quantity of dry sticks were to be had, and they had brought with them both an ax and a hatchet, so they soon had the sticks reduced to a proper size for burning.  Near the shore were a number of bushes, and they cut out a spot in the center of these and over the top spread the canvas they had brought with them.  For a flooring, they gathered some leaves, and over this spread a rubber blanket when it came time to go to bed.

It was very homelike and cheerful, gathering around the campfire, and all of the boys took a hand at preparing the supper which consisted of fried fish, baked potatoes, sandwiches, cake and coffee.  They took their time over the meal, and did not finish until after eight o’clock.  Then they sat around for an hour discussing their plans and telling stories.

“Now, the question comes up, do we stand guard at night?” asked Snap.

“Oh, let us all go to bed,” answered Whopper.  “I don’t believe any cannibals are coming to carry us off—–­or an elephant, either.”

“What about a wildcat or a bear?” asked Shep.

“Well, if you are afraid you can stay awake,” answered Whopper.

There was a moment of silence and then, close at hand, a hoot-owl let out an unexpected and exceedingly weird call.  Whopper gave a jump and so did Shep, and then all of the young hunters laughed.