"Venison, real venison, fresh in the woods! Tell me about that, will you?

I'm in on that deal every time. I hope he cooks enough of it."

There was little danger of the trapper allowing any of his guests to go hungry.

"Boys, I want you all to help me git a fine dinner. Frank, I knows you are used to makin' up a good cookin' fire, you 'tend to that part Jerry, see that ere haunch o' venison hangin' from the limb o' that tree--jest git her down an' cut off some slices, all this here big fry-pan'll hold, an' put some pieces o' salt pork in along with it, 'cause ye see venison is mighty dry. Bill, p'raps ye kin look arter the coffee part o' the bizness."

Immediately everybody became busy.

Old Jesse went away with a couple of the muskrats, and when he came back later he had them skinned and ready for cooking; an operation the boys watched with considerable uneasiness.

Finally the meal was ready, and they sat down.

The venison tasted prime, and the coffee was pretty good; at least it was hot, and on a cool day that counts for a good deal.

Jerry and Will watched their comrade bravely take a portion of the musquash.

"How is it?" asked Jerry, for there had not been enough of the venison after all to appease their appet.i.tes.

"Bully. Just try for yourselves. I've eaten much worse dishes right at home," was the immediate reply of the stout-hearted Frank.

Old Jesse chuckled and gave him a look of appreciation.

Thereupon both of the others took a very dainty help, and with much hesitation tasted of the dish; but both came back for more, and in the end p.r.o.nounced the new dish all right.

"Why, fellows," said Frank, laughing, "it was the same with terrapin years ago. People along the Eastern Sh.o.r.e used to consider the diamond-back as common as dirt."

"So I was reading the other day," admitted Jerry.

"Yes, sir, so common that when men hired out they stipulated in the bond that they were not to be fed on terrapin. Then the fashionable people took a fancy for the dish, the supply ran low, and now a decent-sized terrapin is worth five dollars. Perhaps muskrats may become popular the same way, who knows?" laughed Frank.

At which the trapper roared, seemingly thinking it a great joke.

He showed them how he took the skins off, and stretched them on his frames.

"Not too tight, boys; and then keep 'em in the open air in the shade, away from the fire, till they gits right dry. Some we take off whole, an'

others is slit up, jest accordin' to the kind."

All this sort of thing was eagerly listened to, especially by Frank and Jerry, always interested in everything that pertained to hunting and wild animals.

Will had his mind bent upon one subject, and could not bear to think of anything else; in camp and out, he kept his eyes on the alert for subjects suitable for striking pictures with which to embellish his account of the outing trip.

So the afternoon began to wane almost before they were aware of it.

"Time we were making tracks for home, fellows," announced Frank.

"What will Bluff and Toby think has become of us, I wonder,"' said Will.

"Him? Why, he's forgotten we're in existence. He can never get that jay gun out of his mind. Talk about your phonograph, he's sure the worst repeater I ever heard, and that's no fairy story," grunted Jerry.

"Well, come along boys. Jesse, you must run over and have dinner with us some afternoon. We dine at night, you see. Will you come?" asked Frank, shaking hands.

"I sartin will, and soon at that. Glad ye thought 'bout the ole lone trapper, boys. Come agin, soon, an' any time. An', Bill, when ye git them picters printed remember I'm in one, an' that pelt thief, too."

"I'll see you get copies of both. Good-by!" called out Will.

They trudged back with less ambition to make time than when on the morning tramp, for all of them were feeling a little stiff. As they came in sight of the home camp, Jerry broke out with:

"Say, she looks some nice, with the two tents standing there, and old Toby working around."

"Do you see Bluff?" asked Frank, a trifle uneasily.

"Why, no, but what makes you say that?"

"I've got a suspicion about him, that's all h.e.l.lo, Toby, everything all right?"

"Sho, Ma.r.s.e Frank, eberything am lubly an' de goose hangs high."

"How about Bluff--where is he?"

"Don't no nuffin' 'bout dat boy; he went off in de mornin' an' ain't kim back."

"Just what I feared, fellows," said Frank. "That silly chap has gone hunting up the camp of the Lasher crowd, and like as not got himself in trouble."

CHAPTER IX

JERRY TAKES CHANCES

The announcement of Frank stunned both the others for a moment.

"Do you really believe that?" asked Will, uneasily, at length.

"It would be just like Bluff to take chances. He never counts the cost.

Yes, sir, I just wager he started for that camp before we had been gone half an hour."

"But how would he know where to find those fellows?" asked Will.

"Oh! he knew, all right. We talked it over last night when you were busy with your camera, after we chased around for the stone-thrower; and agreed that since Andy and his mates couldn't get this camp-site, the next best place for them to go would be that little cabin up near the sh.o.r.e of the lake," said Jerry.

"You mean the one the charcoal burners used to live in long ago?"

"Yes. And as Bluff has been around this section more than once, he must have known how to get there. Five to one he burst right into the camp and demanded his gun."

"Do you think so?" said Jerry, uneasily.

"That is his way. And you can just guess that he got into hot water before half a minute had gone," returned Frank.