It was certainly a happy gathering, and the young hunters voted the venison steak the best meat they had ever eaten.

“Well, I declare!” cried Whopper, presently, as he gazed across the lake.  “Am I mistaken, or is that a camp-fire I see.”

“It certainly is a fire,” answered Snap, leaping to his feet.

“Maybe it belongs to those persons we heard shooting, after we shot the deer,” suggested Shep.

The boys were curious to know what sort of folks could be in that vicinity, and after it was talked over, Snap and Whopper entered the rowboat and moved over the lake in the direction of the strange light.

“I see three persons moving around,” announced Snap, as they drew closer.  “Let us remain on the lake until we make sure what sort of people they are.”

They drew closer with caution and at last made out five young men, among them Ham Spink, the Fairview dude, who was, as usual, smoking a cigarette.

“It’s the whole Ham Spink crowd,” muttered Snap—–­“Ham and Dick Bush, Carl Dudder, Sid Foley and Sam Anderson.  I didn’t know they were coming up here.”

“Ham said something about going hunting,” answered Whopper.  “Don’t you know how he stuck up his nose at our way of going out?”

“Yes, I remember.  But I don’t see that their camp looks any better than ours does,” went on Snap.  “See, they have a fancy striped tent.  That looks well, but it can’t be very warm.”

“They have one of those patent cook stoves, Snap.  They don’t use the camp-fire to cook by.”

“Well, I’d just as soon use the regular fire.”

“See, they have a wash-stand and a regular looking-glass,” went on Whopper.  “Nothing like being in style, is there?”

During their conversation the two boys had allowed their craft to float close to shore.  Now one of the lads in the camp saw the boat and leaped up in alarm.

“Somebody is coming, fellows!” he called out.

“Oh, it’s only Snap Dodge and Whopper Dawson,” drawled Ham Spink, lighting a fresh cigarette.  “What do you want?” he asked, abruptly.

“Nothing,” answered Snap, coldly.

“Then why did you come over?”

“We wanted to find out who was camping here, that’s all.”

“Humph!  You are over there, ain’t you?” went on Spink.

“Yes.”

“Had any luck hunting?”

“A little.”

“Just wait till we get down to business.  We are going to bring down everything in sight,” went on Ham Spink.  He could hardly talk without “blowing his own horn,” as some of the boys put it.

“Were you out for something this afternoon?” asked Whopper, curiously.

“What business is that of yours?” asked one of the other boys.

“None at all.”

“Yes, we were out.  We got two fine wild turkeys,” answered Ham Spink.  “To-morrow we are going after some deer we saw early this morning.”