“If you said anything they’d say we did it,” responded Snap.  “Ham would do anything to keep out of trouble and get us into a muss.”

“That camp fire was built after the storm,” said the doctor’s son.  “That proves the Spink crowd can’t be far from here.”

“If they are near us we want to be on our guard,” observed Giant.  “They’d like no better fun than to steal our things.  They haven’t forgotten what happened on the lakes this summer and last winter.”

The boy hunters were bound for a spot mentioned to them by Dr. Reed and Jed Sanborn.  It was a small “dent” in the mountain side, where were located a fine spring of cool water with a rocky brook beyond.  Some distance farther was a cut in the mountain with a tiny lake, surrounded by cedars and called Cedar Lake.

It was nightfall when they reached the “dent” and the spring.  All were thirsty, and the sparkling water was very refreshing.

“Father says that some day he’ll organize a company to bottle this water,” said Shep.  “He is sure it will command a large sale in the big cities—–­it is so clear and pure.”

“It couldn’t be better,” answered Snap.  He looked around him.  “And what an ideal spot for our camp!”

It assuredly was ideal in every respect.  They could see for miles to the east, south and west, over hill after hill, covered with green trees and brushwood, with ribbons of water between, and here and there a lake.  Using the field-glasses they could make out the church steeple of Fairview and some other buildings.  Between the hills they could see various farms, with the cattle grazing in the pastures, or standing in groups in the barnyards.  All was as silent and as calm as one could wish.

“What a place for a castle, like those of old!” murmured Snap as his eyes roamed over the scene.  “Just think of this in the light of the full moon.”

“Snap is getting romantic,” came from Whopper.  “Come on down to the earth, sonny, and help pitch the tent, or you’ll have to sleep out in that moonlight to-night and run the risk of getting moonstruck.”  And this remark brought forth a laugh, in which even Snap joined.

As tired as they were, the five boys cut the necessary poles and hoisted the tent.  As this was to be a permanent camp for some weeks they erected the shelter with care, and around it dug a deep trench, with another trench to carry rain down the mountain side, so that none might run over the flooring as it had during the thunderstorm.  Then they spent considerable time in cutting down some heavy cedar boughs for bedding.  Snap, Whopper and Tommy did this latter work, and while it was going on Shep and Giant got together some flat stones and built something of a fireplace and a stove, not far from the tent’s entrance.  Then they cut firewood and soon had a generous blaze started and put the kettle on to boil.

“And are we going to stay here for a while, and just hunt and fish and—–­and rest?” asked the boy from the circus.