“I’d give all I am worth to be in camp near a big fire,” came from Giant, presently.

“I can’t sit up mu-much lon-longer,” put in Whopper, weakly.  “I am like a—–­a lump of ice already!”

“I think we must be getting close to shore,” said Snap, as bravely as he could.  “Keep up your courage.”

He was at the end of the boat and allowed himself to slip down into the lake.

“Hi!  Come back!” called Shep, in fresh alarm.

“I am only going to see how deep it is,” was the reply.

A few minutes later Snap announced that he could touch bottom.  All strained their eyes and thought they could see the shore at a short distance.

Snap forced the craft in that direction and soon found himself in water but three feet deep.

“We are all right now, boys!” he called out.  “Come, let us pull the boat in.”

They did so, and soon the four young hunters were standing in the sopping wet brushwood on the edge of the lake.  They had no idea where they had landed and only a dim notion regarding the location of their camp.

“I think the best thing we can do,” said Snap, “is to stay around here somewhere and start a good big camp-fire.  If we try to get back to our camp we may get lost and also take our death of cold.  The quicker we start a fire the better it will be for us.”

“All right, start a fire,” said Whopper.  “But it is going to be no easy matter—–­with all the wood so wet.”

“Look yonder, boys!” cried Giant.  “Am I mistaken, or do I see a light?”

“It certainly is a light,” said Shep, looking in the direction pointed out—–­a place quite a distance from the lake.  “Maybe some other campers are around.”

“I hope so,” said Snap.  “Perhaps we can get something to eat.”

All were hungry as well as cold, and the idea of a meal appealed to them strongly.  Snap led the way through the low brushwood in the direction of the camp-fire, which was burning under a series of overhanging rocks.

“Let me see what sort of a place it is first,” warned Snap, as they drew closer.  “We don’t want to run into any tramps or worse.”

Nobody appeared to be around the camp-fire, which was burning brightly in spite of the rain and wind.  It was a well-sheltered spot, and in the rocks was a hollowed-out place, against which leaned some split logs, forming a rude shack.

Catching up a firebrand, Snap gazed into the shack.  He gave a good look and then came outside and held up his hand for silence.

“I’ve made a discovery,” he whispered, excitedly.

“What?” asked the others.

“Do you remember that negro who stole Pop Lundy’s watch?”

“Yes.”

“Well, he is in there, fast asleep!”

“That rascal!” cried Shep.  “Are you sure?”

“Look for yourselves.”

They did so and saw that it was the same colored man beyond the shadow of a doubt.  He rested on a couch of pine boughs, flat on his back and snoring lustily.  He was evidently the only occupant of the camp.