It was about noon when they came to a halt in a ravine near the lake sh.o.r.e and sat down on a log to rest.

"Gee, I wish we had something to eat," groaned Merritt.

"Ever hear of a fairy G.o.dmother?" inquired Tubby, gazing abstractedly up through the tree tops.

"Well, if you aren't the limit, Tubby. What on earth have fairy G.o.dmothers to do----"

"They were always on the job with what was most wanted, I believe,"

pursued Tubby.

"Oh, don't talk rot. Let's---- Gee whiz! I'll take it all back, Tubby.

You are a real, genuine, blown-in-the-gla.s.s fairy G.o.dmother."

Merritt's exclamation was called forth by the fact that Tubby had produced, with the air of a necromancer, two packets of sandwiches and ditto of cake.

"There's water in that spring, I guess," he said laconically ignoring Merritt's open compliments.

The two lads munched away contentedly. They were seated at the head of the little ravine which ran back from the sh.o.r.e of the lake. Above them towered a rocky cliff from which flowed the spring. Ferns of a brilliant green and almost tropical luxuriance festooned its edges. The water made a musical tinkling sound. It was a pleasant spot, and both boys enjoyed it to the full. They would have appreciated it more though, if they could have stumbled across the canoes which Tubby was beginning to believe were a figment of his imagination.

"Wonder if there were ever Indians through here?" said Merritt, after a period of thought.

"Guess so. They used to navigate most of these lakes," said Tubby, stuffing some remaining crumbs of cake into his mouth.

"Why?" he added, staring at Merritt, with puffed out cheeks.

"I was just thinking that if we were early settlers and an Indian suddenly appeared in the opening of this canyon or ravine or whatever you like to call it, that we'd be in a bad way."

"Yes, we couldn't get out. That's certain," said Tubby, looking around, "I guess the red men would bury the hatchet--in our heads."

"I'm glad those days are gone," said Merritt, "I should think that the early settlers must have--Hark! What's that?"

A sudden crunching sound, as if someone was leisurely approaching had struck on his ear.

"Sounds like somebody coming," rejoined Tubby.

His heart began to beat a little faster than was comfortable. What if some of the Hunt gang were prowling about.

"What do you think it is?" he asked, the next moment, in rather a quavering tone.

"Jiggered if I know," said Merritt; "let's go toward the beach and investigate."

"Better do that than stay here," agreed Tubby.

Picking up their scout staves both boys cautiously tip-toed toward the mouth of the ravine. But before they could reach it a sudden shadow fell across the white strip of sand at the outlet.

The next moment a huge body came into view. Its great bulk loomed up enormously to the eyes of the excited boys.

"It's a big deer!" exclaimed Tubby; "what a beauty! Look at those horns!"

The deer, a fine antlered beast that was moving leisurely along the beach, looked up at the same instant. It gazed straight at the boys for a moment. Then it began pawing the ground angrily, and tossing its head.

"What can be the matter with it?" said Merritt in a whisper.

"Bothered if I know," rejoined Tubby, "it looks kind of mad, doesn't it?

Maybe we'd better try to climb up that cliff."

"I think so, too," said Merritt, as the stag buck lowered its head and its big eyes became filled with an angry fire.

"Quick, Tubby!" he cried the next instant, "it's going to charge!"

Hardly had he voiced the warning before, with a furious half-bellow, half-snort, the buck rushed at them at top speed, its antlers lowered menacingly.

CHAPTER XX.

THE CANOES FOUND.

Merritt made a spring up the side of the steep-walled little ravine. He succeeded in grabbing an outgrowing bush and drawing himself up to a ledge about ten feet above the ground. Tubby followed him. But the fat boy's weight proved too much for the slender roots of the plant. It ripped out of the cleft in which it grew, and Tubby, with a frightened cry, went rolling over and over down the steep acclivity. He fell right in the path of the advancing stag. The creature saw him and prepared to gore him with its horns. But just as Tubby was giving himself up for lost, an inspiration seized Merritt.

A big stone lay close at hand. He grabbed it up and hurled it with all his might at the buck. The lad's experience on the baseball diamond stood him in good stead at this trying moment.

The rock, with all the power of Merritt's healthy young muscles behind it, struck the buck between the eyes. The animal staggered and snorted.

For one critical instant it hesitated, its sharp forefeet almost on the rec.u.mbent fat boy. Then, with a shrill sort of whinny of terror, it swung, as swiftly and gracefully as a cat, and clattered off, running at top speed.

Merritt lost no time in clambering down to Tubby, who was sitting up and looking about him in a comical dazed way.

"H-h-h-has it gog-g-g-gone?" he stammered.

"I should say so," laughed Merritt, "it stood not on the order of its going, but--got! as they say in the cla.s.sics."

"I'm glad of that," remarked Tubby, getting up slowly, "I could almost feel those antlers investigating my anatomy. Let's see how far he's run."

The two boys made for the entrance of the ravine. Gaining it they had a good view up and down the beach in either direction. On a distant projection of rock stood the buck. He was looking back. As he saw the boys he wheeled abruptly and dashed into the forest.

"Too bad," said Tubby shaking his head with a serious air.

"What's too bad?" asked Merritt, struck by the other's pensive air.

"Why, if he'd stood still a little longer and we'd had a gun we might have shot him," rejoined Tubby with a perfectly serious face.

They turned, and as they did so a shout burst from the lips of both.

Bobbing about serenely on the placid water, not half a mile in the other direction, was the red canoe.

"I'll bet the others are ash.o.r.e right there, too," cried Tubby.

As he spoke the stout boy dashed off at surprising speed for one of his build. It was all Merritt could do to keep up with him.