IN A STORM ON THE LAKE
Snap and his chums were much interested in what the rival campers had
to relate, and questioned the two dudes closely. They could see that
both Bush and Dudder were unusually ill at ease.
"Well, all this doesn't help us any," said Shep. "It is going
to storm and I want to get back to camp. Trot around that boat,
or else lend us yours."
"We'll have to lend you ours," said Dick Bush. "But---but-----"
"But what?"
"I---er---I can't tell you," answered Bush, and turned away.
"Is there anything else wrong?" asked Giant. "Maybe you were over
to our camp."
"Were you?" asked Snap, catching Carl Dudder by the arm.
"Let go!"
"I want you to answer me, Dudder."
"I wont answer!"
"Then it is true."
"What did you do at our camp?" asked Shep.
"Go and find out!"
Carl Dudder had scarcely spoken when he found himself flat on his
back, with Snap on top of him. In the meantime the other boys
caught hold of Dick Bush.
"We must get at the bottom of this," said Snap. "Something is
wrong here, that is certain."
"It wasn't my plan," whined Dick Bush, who seemed to be more cowardly
than his companion. "I---I didn't do hardly anything."
"Well, you can't blame it on me," retorted Carl Dudder.
"Maybe it was Ham Spink's plan," suggested Whopper.
"It was."
"And what did you do?"
"Hid your stuff on you," said Dick Bush, in a low tone.
"Anything else?"
"Well, we---er---we took a little meat and had some dinner while
we were over there."
After that the two dudish boys confessed what had been done, laying
the greater part of the blame on the others of their party. Snap
and his chums were rightly indignant.
"We ought to duck you in the lake and then have you locked up,"
said Snap. "It is what you deserve."
"No, no!" came with a shiver from Dick Bush. "Let us off, and I'll
pay my share of the damage done."
"It isn't a question of money," said Shep. "It's your utter meanness."
The wind was now blowing so violently that the boys began to grow
alarmed, and after a brief talk, Snap and his chums decided to
follow Bush and Dodder to their camp, taking their guns with them.
The deer were hung up in some trees, out of the reach of other animals.
The coming of Snap and his friends to the rival camp produced
another stormy scene, and for awhile it looked as if there would
be an open fight. The young hunters "laid down the law" good
and hard, and Ham Spink and his crowd were much alarmed in consequence.
"You had no right to touch our things, and I could have you arrested
for it," said Snap. "Now our boat is gone, I am going to claim yours
until we get ours back."
"That ain't fair!" cried Ham Spink.
"It has got to be fair," answered Snap, stubbornly.
"Most of our stores are gone, too," growled the dudish youth.
"That isn't our fault."
"Will you---er---will you sell us one of your deer?" faltered
another of the crowd.
"If you absolutely need it, yes; otherwise, no," said Shep.
"Yes, we need it. We are almost cleaned out of everything."
"One of you has got to go with us," said Snap, a moment later.
"What for?"
"To show us where our things are."
"We'll tell you where they are," said several. They were afraid
to cross the lake in such a wind.
The secret was revealed, and a few minutes later Snap and his chums
started for the boat, which was close at hand.
"You can have this boat as soon as the wind lets up," said Giant.
"And what of the deer?"
"You can take the smallest," said Snap. "But mind, don't touch the
others, or it will be the worse for you!" he added, sternly.
It was dark and blowing a full gale when the four young hunters
embarked. They realized that the journey to their camp would be a
perilous one, and wished that the other crowd was more friendly, so
that they could remain with them all night. But they had not been
asked to stay and were too proud to mention it.
"Phew! but this is a sockdollager!" was Whopper's comment. "Blowing
about two thousand miles an hour, I guess. I hope it doesn't send
us to the bottom."
"Don't be so cheerful," said Shep. "Boys, we have got to do some
nice work with the oars, or else ship a lot of water," he added,
gazing out on the black and angry lake.
"Well, come on," said Giant. "The sooner we get at it the sooner we'll
be on the other side."
All took their places at the oars, and a few strokes sufficed to send
them well out into Firefly Lake. Here they felt the full force of
the breeze, and in a twinkling Shep's cap was blown from his head.
"My cap!"
"Here it is," answered Snap, passing it over. "Say, boys, this is a
corker sure! Can anybody see ahead?"
"I can see a little," said Whopper. "But not a great deal."
They rowed on, bending low to escape the fury of the wind. The
rowboat rocked violently, and every time she went down some water
came in over the gunwale.
"Let us move down the lake," suggested Shep. "We can't go straight
across. We can come up again on the other shore---if the wind will
let us."
Presently they reckoned that they had reached the middle of the lake
and here all was very dark. They ceased rowing in order to get their
bearings.
"I am a little twisted," said Snap. "Can we be in the vicinity of
Humpback Rock?"
"Perhaps we are," answered one of the others.
Again they took up the oars. The wind tore along at a frightful
rate of speed and the water was a mass of whitecaps.
"I think-----" began Giant, when there came a sudden thump. The
rowboat had struck the mass of rocks just mentioned, lying near
the center of the lake. The craft tipped over and into the lake
went the four young hunters, with a loud splash.
As Snap went down he felt Shep on top of him. Then they clasped
hands and came to the surface. Not far away was the upturned rowboat.
"Shep, are you all right?"
"I---I guess so," was the chattering reply. "Oh, but it's cold!"
A moment later Giant loomed up in the darkness, and all three of
the boys took hold of the overturned boat.
"Where is Whopper?" asked Shep.
"I don't know," answered the smallest of the young hunters. "What
a happening!"
"We must find Whopper!" cried Snap. "Hello, Whopper!" he called,
as loudly as he could.
A distant cry came back. Then those on the boat continued to
call and soon they made out their chum, swimming desperately some
yards away.
"Come this way," said Shep.
"I---I-----can't swim! I've got---a---a chill!" was the despairing
answer.
Hearing this, both Snap and Shep lost not a moment in going to
Whopper's assistance. He was on the point of going down when they
caught hold of him and brought him over to the rowboat.
As best they could all four of the young hunters climbed up on the
keel of the boat, placing Whopper between them.
"It's as cold as Greenland," said Whopper. "What are we to do?"
"I don't know---drift, I reckon," answered Snap.
"The wind will carry us down the lake," said Giant, who appeared
to suffer the least of all. "But I say, boys, all of our guns
are gone, and other things, too!"
"Well, never mind that just now," said Snap. "Let us be thankful
if we save our lives."
"What, you don't think there is serious danger?" asked the small
youth.
"Doesn't it look like it, Giant?"
"The wind is coming up again!" cried Shep, and just then they felt
its full force. With the wind came a dash of rain, pelting them
mercilessly. Truly, they were in a position as uncomfortable as it
was dangerous.