“We haven’t made any mistake, have we?” asked Snap, slowly.

“No; this is the very spot,” said Whopper.  “I know it by that tree yonder.”

“Whopper is right,” put in Giant.

“Then one of two things has happened.   Either the boat drifted
away-----”

“It couldn’t drift away—–­it was too well tied.”

“Then somebody took it.”

“Perhaps the fellow who visited our camp!” cried Whopper.

There was a moment of awkward silence.  Each youth was wondering what was best to do next.

“Hi, you fellows!” came from nearby.  “Stop!”

They turned, to find themselves confronted by Dick Bush, the dude, and another of the rival campers, named Carl Dudder.

“What do you want?” asked Snap, shortly.

“You’ve been over to our camp, haven’t you?” blustered Dick Bush.

“What makes you think that?” asked Whopper.

“Because you turned everything upside down and ran off with some of our things.”

“We haven’t been near your camp,” put in Giant.  “We have been out after these,” and he pointed to the game.

When the dudish youths saw the deer they were astonished.

“Did you kill all those?” cried Carl Dudder.

“We did.”

“To-day?”

“Yes.”

“Then you weren’t near our camp?” questioned Dick Bush, uneasily.

“We haven’t been within a mile of your camp,” answered Snap.  “We left our boat here this morning and went directly into the mountains.  We just got back—–­to find our boat gone.”

“Well, I’ll be blessed!” gasped Carl Dudder, and then he gave his companion a peculiar look.

“Do you know anything about our boat, Bush?” demanded Snap, sharply.

“Why---I---er---that is-----”

“Don’t say anything!” whispered his companion, quickly.

“What’s that?” asked Shep.  “So you do know, eh?  What have you done with the boat?”

“I—–­er—–­I didn’t say I knew.”

“But you do know—–­your actions show it!” shouted Whopper.  “Boys, don’t let them get away until they tell us where our boat is!”

Snap and the others were quick to act, and Dick Bush and Carl Dudder were at once surrounded.

“Look here—–­you—–­you let us go!” said Dick Bush.  His face showed how uncomfortable he felt.

“Tell us where the boat is.”

“I—–­er—–­I don’t know.”

“That isn’t true,” said Whopper.  “Tell the truth, Bush, unless you want us to duck you in the lake!”

At the mention of a ducking the dudish boy lost the most of his courage.

“Don’t do that!” he whined.  “I—–­that is, it was only a joke.  We—–­er—–­we took the boat to the other side of the lake.”

“So that we could walk around to our camp, eh?” said Snap, his eyes showing his anger.

“It was, as Dick says, only a joke—–­and we got paid back for it,” put in Carl Dudder.