Out with Gun and Camera Part 12

"Don't bother to-day. Water is good enough," said Giant, and so they rested in the shade of the trees and ate their sandwiches and a pie Mrs. Caslette had baked for them, was.h.i.+ng the food down with water from a handy spring.

"I am going to take my first picture," said Snap, and made the others get in a group, each with a piece of pie in his hand. He took a snapshots and then marked the picture in a book he had brought along for that purpose.

"What do you call it?" asked Whopper.

"Pie-ous Time," answered Snap, and then dodged a tin cup the other flung at him.

"We must try to reach Lake Cameron before night," said Shep, when they were once more on the way. "I shouldn't care to camp out along the river."

"Oh, you might find a worse spot," answered Snap. "However, we'll get to the lake if we can."

As my old readers know, Lake Cameron was connected with the river by a narrow creek, the banks of which were overhung with bushes.

Since the boys had come home from their last outing the rains had been heavy, consequently the creek was well filled with water.

"This makes getting through easy, and I am glad of it," said Whopper.

"I was afraid we'd have to carry some of the stuff around, so as to lighten the boat."

"Are you going up the lake sh.o.r.e very far tonight?" questioned Giant.

It was already growing dark.

"No, I think we had best camp near the mouth of the creek," answered the doctor's son, and the others agreed with him.

As soon as the lake was reached Giant, who was the best fisherman of the crowd, baited up and threw out his line. For some time he did not get a bite, but then came a sharp tug, so dear to the heart of the angler.

"What have you got?" asked Whopper.

"Might be an elephant, but I---I guess not," cried the small youth.

The others stopped rowing and Giant began to play his catch with care.

Soon he brought to light a fine pickerel, and dropped the fish in the bottom of the boat.

"Good for Giant!" cried Snap. "A couple of more like that and we'll have a dandy fish supper."

Again the line was baited and thrown in and the boys took up their rowing. Presently came another tug and again Giant was successful, bringing in a fish several inches larger than the first.

"This is pickerel day," cried Whopper "Reckon I'll try my luck," and he did, and presently brought in a pickerel almost as large as the others. But that was the end of the luck for the time being.

"Never mind," said Shep. "Three are enough. Now to land and get our camp into shape for the night---and then for supper." And a few minutes later a landing was made.

CHAPTER VIII

THE FIRST NIGHT OUT

The boys knew the sh.o.r.es of Lake Cameron well, having camped there before, and they selected a spot that just suited their wants.

The rowboat was drawn up in a tiny cove and made fast, and then all hands set to work getting the tent and some of the outfit ash.o.r.e. The things left in the boat were covered carefully with the tarpaulin, to keep off the night dampness and a possible rain.

Shep had been selected as the leader during this outing, on account of what his father had done for the club, and he now directed Giant and Whopper to build the fire and get supper ready, while he and Snap erected the tent and cut some pine boughs for bedding.

"It will be almost warm enough to-night to sleep out of doors,"

said the doctor's son. "But it seems more natural to sleep under some kind of a cover."

He and Snap took the ax and soon cut down three slender saplings and trimmed them. Two were planted in the ground where the tent was to be erected and the third was laid across the top, in little limb-crotches left for that purpose. Then the canvas was thrown over and pegged down tightly, sides and back. The front of the tent had a double flap, which could be tied shut with strings if desired.

Long before the tent was up and furnished with bedding of pine boughs, Giant and Whopper had the camp fire started, and soon an appetizing odor of coffee and frying fish filled the air. It was now quite dark, and the glare of the fire made the scene a pleasant one.

"Camping wouldn't be camping without a fire," observed Snap, as, having finished his share of the work, he sat down on a gra.s.sy hillock to rest and watch Giant and Whopper getting ready to serve the evening meal.

"Right you are, Snap," answered Shep. "Even in the hottest of weather I love to see the glare and the flickering shadows."

"I always think of good stories and plenty to eat when I see a camp fire," came from Giant.

"Well, I reckon we are going to have the eating, even if we don't have the stories," said the doctor's son.

"What's the matter with Whopper spinning one of his outrageous yarns?"

suggested Snap. "He must be fairly aching to tell something marvelous."

"I tell only truthful tales," came from the storyteller modestly. "Now, if you want to hear-----"

"Truthful tales!" burst out Giant. "Say, Whopper, that's the very biggest whopper you ever told!"

"All right, then, I won't tell any stories," returned the other lad reproachfully.

"Oh, yes, you will; you can't help it," said Snap.

Supper was soon served. It consisted of bread and b.u.t.ter and coffee and pickerel done to a turn, topped off with some crullers from a bagful donated by Mrs. Caslette. The boys took their time eating, and when they had finished the bones of the fish were picked clean.

Then Giant said something about a train falling off a bridge, and that started Whopper to telling a most marvelous story of an engineer who, seeing that a bridge was down, put on all speed and rushed his train over a gap thirty feet wide in safety.

The others listened with sober faces until Whopper had finished, and then burst out laughing.

"What did I tell you?" cried Snap. "I said Whopper couldn't help telling a yarn."

"And such a one, too!" added Giant.

"And of course we all believe it," came from the doctor's son.

"Well, I had to do something---to help pa.s.s the time," said Whopper a bit sheepishly.

"Sure you did," said Snap heartily. "It's all right, Whopper---only don't ask us to believe such a story."

"Is anybody going to stand guard to-night?" asked Giant to change the subject.

"What's the use?" questioned Snap. "I don't think anybody or anything will come to disturb us."

"Well, you can never tell," said Shep slowly. "But if you fellows don't care to stand guard we'll let it go at that."