It was long past dark when they came in sight of the camp-fire, which Snap and Shep were keeping burning brightly on purpose, so that it might light their way.

"Here they come!" cried Snap, and ran forward to meet them. "What's this? A wolf, I declare! Then you didn't find the silver deer?"

"We didn't get a chance," said Giant, and then he and Whopper told their story.

"You can be thankful that you escaped from those wolves," said Snap.

"I thought wolves didn't attack folks excepting in the dead of winter, when they couldn't get anything to eat," remarked Shep.

"That is usually the case," answered Snap. "But once in a while they do as they did to-day---when there is a large pack of them."

Snap and Shep had made their traps and had some success at fishing, having caught four pike of fair size and also several catfish.

That night came a fall of snow, which covered the ground to the depth of several inches. In the morning it was so cold they were glad enough to hug the fire until nearly noon.

In the afternoon Whopper went out on the lake and soon came back with news.

"What do you think?" he called out. "The Spink crowd is leaving!"

"Breaking up camp?" queried Giant.

"Yes; they are loading everything in their boat."

This announcement produced a mild sensation, and after a consultation, Snap and his chums decided to row across the lake and watch proceedings.

Ham Spink and his cronies were indeed leaving, and in far from a good humor. None of them was a good shot and they did not possess the patience necessary to become good hunters or fishermen. As a consequence they had brought down very little game and caught only a few fish. Their stock of provisions brought from home was running low, and each boy in the camp had voted the outing a failure.

"Going to leave us?" called out Snap, as he and his friends rested on their oars a short distance from the rival camp.

"Yes," was Ham Spink's surly response.

"What's the matter? Don't you like the hunting here?" asked Whopper.

"Oh, don't be so inquisitive!" came from d.i.c.k Bush. "I guess you are glad enough to see us go."

"Not at all," said Giant. "You are welcome to stay, so long as you don't interfere with our doings."

"We don't think much of this place," grunted Ham Spink. "It may be good enough in the middle of summer, but not now, when winter is coming on."

"Are you going right home, Ham?" asked Snap.

"What business is that of yours?"

"I thought if you were, you might sell us what stores you have left over."

"We have nothing to sell to you," was the cold reply.

"We might make a trade," put in Shep. "We have got some plump partridge and rabbits to spare."

"Humph! Are you saying that just to tease us?"

"Not at all. Here are the rabbits and the partridge, too," and the doctor's son held them up.

Now, as it happened, Ham Spink and his cronies were very anxious to take some game home, but had nothing but one rabbit and a little squirrel. They gazed longingly at the plump game Shep exhibited.

"Let us take them," whispered d.i.c.k Bush. "n.o.body will know how we got them."

At this Ham Spink's eyes brightened. He was not above telling an untruth when he felt like it.

"What will you take for what you have?" he called out.

"What have you got?"

The rival campers looked over such provisions as they had left, and enumerated the articles---sugar, cocoa, flour, some canned goods, and some preserves. Snap and his chums went ash.o.r.e and investigated.

"We'll trade even," said Snap at last, after talking with his chums. "But on one condition."

"What is that?"

"That you take some letters home for us and deliver them as soon as you arrive."

"All right, we'll do that," said Carl Dudder.

The trade was made on the spot, and the letters written; and on the following morning Ham Spink and his cronies left the vicinity of Firefly Lake. It was the last our friends saw of the dudish youth and his friends for some time to come.

"I think he feels sick all over," remarked Shep, after the other crowd had departed.

"He certainly isn't in high spirits," commented Snap.

"I'll wager a new cap against a balloon that they tell everybody in town they shot those partridge and the rabbits," came from Giant.

"Sure thing!" exclaimed Whopper. "And they'll say they shot about a thousand other things besides. I know 'em. They can all blow to beat the band when they want to."

On the following Monday it was clear and cool, and the boys set out to look at their beaver traps, of which three had been placed in position. To their delight, two of the traps held beavers; and to their astonishment, the third trap held a muskrat.

"Hullo! here is something I wasn't looking for!" cried Snap.

"He's a fine haul," he added, looking the muskrat over.

"And the beavers are fine, too," added Shep. "Boys, I think we can count ourselves lucky and no mistake."

"Let us set the traps again," said Whopper, who was excited over the haul. This was done, and the boy hunters returned to their camp well pleased at what they had caught.

"I wish we'd get something in the bear trap," said Giant. The small youth had set his heart on getting a bear before it should be time to return home.

On the day following, Shep and Giant went out after nuts and were gone the best part of the day. When they returned to the camp they were both excited and wanted to see Snap without delay.

"What's it all about?" asked the leader of the gun club.