“Is he—–­he dead?” gasped Giant, after the bear had been quiet for a full minute.

“I think so,” answered Snap.  “But don’t go near him yet—–­he may be playing a trick on us.”

“I am not going near him.”

“The bear in the trap is alive!” called out Whopper, who had just made an examination.

All lost no time in reloading their weapons, and then they peered into the trap.  The bear under the logs and stones gave a grunt of pain and rage.

“I’ll fix her,” said Snap, and, drawing close, let drive at the bear’s head.  It was a telling shot, and soon the bear stretched out, and then the battle with the two creatures came to an end.

“What a magnificent haul!” cried Giant, after they were certain both bears were dead.

“I wonder what Ham Spink and his crowd would say to this?” came from Snap.

“They wouldn’t believe it unless they saw it,” returned Whopper.  “Boys, do you know what I think?  I think we ought to take those bears home.”

“Just what I think, too,” said Giant.  “I want my mother to see them.”

“Well, I am willing,” answered Snap.  “But I think we ought to visit Lake Cameron first and see if we can’t find this Lusher Barrock.”

“We can stop at Lake Cameron on the way,” answered Whopper.

It was late in the day already, and by the time they had dragged the bears to camp it was night.  As they sat around the camp-fire they talked matters over and decided to break camp the very next day.  They had had about all the hunting they wished for the present, and getting the two bears “topped matters off,” as Snap put it.

The bears were loaded into the boat and anchored out in the lake, and then the boys got supper and went to bed.  Snap was soon asleep and so were Giant and Shep, and all slept soundly until about midnight, when the leader of the club awoke a start.

“Hullo! what’s up now?” he called out, and this cry aroused Shep and Giant.

“What is it, Snap?”

“Where is Whopper?”

“I don’t know where he is,” answered Snap.  “Listen!”

The three did so, and from a distance heard a groan and then a thrashing around in the bushes back of the cabin.

“Something is wrong, that is sure!” gasped Giant.  “Whopper must be in trouble!”

“Come on and see,” returned Snap, and catching up his gun he ran from the shelter.  Shep and Giant were not slow in following.

When they got outside all had become quiet again, and they knew not in what direction to turn.  There was no moon, but the stars shone like so many diamonds in the heavens.

“Where is he?” asked Shep, after a breathless pause.

“I don’t know,” answered Snap.  “Hullo, Whopper!” he called out.

There was no reply to his shout and he moved into the bushes cautiously, with the others at his heels.  Then, of a sudden, he came upon Whopper, who stood by a bush tugging away manfully.