"Now, if the spirit moves. But I see you have been busy 'conning' that volume of camp recipes. Any dishes that call for rice there, because we've got it and to spare. I always liked boiled rice, with sugar and milk, even the condensed kind; but there can be too much of a good thing. I'll be like the old dominie soon whose people fed him on rabbit every place he went."

"How was that?" asked Will.

"Never heard that story? Well, you see, they knew he liked rabbit, so every place he ate, his host made sure to have his favorite dish. Of course the good man hated to tell them that he was getting sick of the taste of rabbit; so what d'ye think he finally hit on as a delicate way of getting a change?"

"I give it up; now tell me," declared Will.

"When he found it before him the next time he bowed his head and this was the grace he said: 'Of rabbits young, of rabbits old; of rabbits hot, of rabbits cold; of rabbits tender and rabbits tough, I thank the Lord we've had enough!'"

"That must have fetched them, all right. Now, if any one puts up a howl here about rice, I'm going to bury the balance of it, mark my words.

What ails you, Bluff?" demanded Will, as his companion started half to his knees, and crouching there stared through the leaves of the low-growing trees that concealed the camp from the lake.

"Look yonder, and see! H'sh! not another word!" he murmured.

Will crept to a place beside him, and, finding an opening, also used his eyes to advantage. What he saw would have annoyed any of the boys, considering the fact that they had hoped for a period of peace while camping on Wildcat Island.

A large rowboat was just pa.s.sing that side of the island. It had come from up the lake somewhere, and was filled with a crowd of rough-looking boys.

"Pet Peters and his crowd again. They gave us all the trouble they could last Fall when we were in camp above the lumber docks, and now they've hunted us up again to annoy us," breathed Will, as soon as he saw who occupied the rowboat. "But Andy Lasher isn't with them--he's away on a visit, somebody told me."

Bluff had reached out and picked up Jerry's shotgun.

"They seem to be looking in here pretty hard," continued Will.

"I guess they know we're here, and they've got some mean trick up their sleeve; but possession's nine points of the law, and we don't get out to please those rowdies," said Bluff between set teeth.

CHAPTER IX--GUARDIANS OF THE CAMP

"Do you believe they mean to land here?" asked Will, his voice trembling a bit.

"I did; but it looks as if they've thought better of it, for now the old boat's moving on. They'll land, all right, and try some game on us to-night, likely," answered the other, who had pushed the gun forward as if meaning to make use of it should the necessity arise.

Bluff was a reckless fellow at times, and inclined to be fiery, though, like most of his kind, his temper was quickly subdued, and he easily became repentant.

"But perhaps they're only down here for a row; or, it may happen that they mean to get a mess of those fine perch," suggested Will.

"Perhaps, but all the same, I saw that old tent of theirs sticking up in the bow of the boat," declared Bluff, positively.

"Oh! then that settles it. Well, it looks as though we might have a lively enough time of it, after all. What with the wild man, those two thievish tramps, the wildcats that live on the island, and now, last but not least, the Pet Peters crowd that used to train with Andy Lasher. Can we ever go anywhere and be let alone?" complained Will, who loved peace above all things.

"Well, I don't mind it much. We came out for some excitement, and it looks as if we were going to get our fill," said Bluff, who was built more upon the adventurous model than his companion.

They watched the boat as long as it remained in sight.

"Seemed to me they were heading in for the sh.o.r.e just before they disappeared," suggested Bluff, finally, as he turned and looked at his mate.

"I admit that it looked that way to me. Then we might as well take it for granted that they're going to make camp on the island. I wonder----"

mused Will, fingering his pet camera reflectively.

"What now?" demanded the other suspiciously.

"The idea struck me that perhaps I might creep close enough to their camp to get a snapshot. You know those I have of that crowd are in sections, either running away, or doing some sort of stunt. I'd like to have one that showed them up seated around their fire, and planning mischief."

"You'll do nothing of the sort, my lad, at least not while I'm left in charge of the camp. What sort of fellow are you, anyway? You profess to be afraid of the crazy man that is said to be on this island, and you know those brutes yonder would be only too glad to beat you up if you fell into their hands; yet you propose spying on them without a thought of the danger."

"Oh! but that was to get a picture, you see," explained Will, as though such a laudable motive might be sufficient to make any one valiant.

Bluff looked at him, and shook his head.

"They'll sure have you over in that sanitarium at Merrick, before long, for you show all the signs of getting looney. I tell you what I'm going to do," he said.

"Well, go on. You're hardly complimentary, you know; but I consider the source."

"While you remain here, I'm going to climb up to the top of this bluff.

Perhaps I can get a sight of their landing-place. It may even be that I shall discover signs of our two pards making their weary way around the end of the island, yonder."

"And if there is a good chance for a view, call me up with my camera, will you?"

"Sure. You settle down here. I'll take the gun along. I can defend the camp just as well up there as below. Don't worry about that, my boy."

And Bluff started off.

When he reached the top of the abrupt rise he did have a splendid view of the lake and the distant sh.o.r.e, but could see little of the island.

"No good for taking pictures, pard. Just you stay down there, and I'll join you after I've looked through my marine gla.s.ses a little," he called down.

Frank had brought along a good pair of gla.s.ses belonging to his father; and with these Bluff now scanned the sh.o.r.e line as far as he could see it. He was in hopes of discovering some sign of the two explorers around the point; or possibly locating the camp of the Peters crowd.

The big rowboat he did see on the beach, and there were signs of smoke among the trees close by, so that he decided where the town bully and his followers had taken up their temporary quarters.

"Wonder if they dare attack us in the night?" was what Bluff was saying to himself as he once more commenced to descend the bluff.

His mind went back to their previous experiences with these same boys.

The rowdies had tried to burn their camp; they had stolen whatever they could lay hands on, and made themselves disagreeable until the conversion of their leader, at that time Andy Lasher, by Jerry, who had saved his life when he was caught under a fallen tree, had changed the complexion of things.

Under the rule of the new leader, Pet Peters, these fellows would be equal to any deed of misconduct just so far as they dared. The fact that the four chums never went into camp without guns of some sort might make them cautious; but that would be the only thing.

Will bombarded him with questions when he came down.

"Did you see Frank and Jerry?--was the camp of those fellows in sight?--could I get any sort of picture, if I climbed up?" so he went on until Bluff called a halt.

"Nothing doing at all. Just stay here where you're well off. We've got our hands full to guard this camp. I'm wondering what keeps the boys so long, that's all," he said.

But the minutes lengthened into hours and still there were no signs of the explorers. Bluff and Will started to get supper ready. Neither of them felt very gay, for a shadow seemed to be resting upon the camp.