Young Hunters of the Lake Part 3

he yelled. "h.e.l.lo! Where are you?"

No answer was returned, and the doctor's son joined in the cry. Then both boys pulled a more hasty stroke and soon got to a point where they could wade ash.o.r.e.

"It can't be possible they went home," said Snap, as he gazed around in perplexity.

"We'll soon see," was the answer, and the doctor's son ran to the bushes where the clothing had been left. "Well, I never!" he cried.

"Why, all the clothing is gone!

"Yes, their clothing and ours too!

"Do you think they've played a trick on us?"

"No, they wouldn't be so mean."

"But where are they, and where is our clothing?"

"I don't know."

In deep perplexity the two chums looked around that vicinity. No trace of Giant or Whopper was to be found and the only article of wearing apparel they could discover was a blue-and-white sock.

"That's Giant's sock," said Snap. "And that proves something is wrong. He wouldn't go away and leave his own sock behind."

"True enough, Snap, but what do you think happened?"

"I don't know, unless they caught somebody in the act of running off with our duds and ran after them."

"Let us call again."

This they did, using the full power of their lungs. Soon an answering cry came back, and Whopper appeared on the river bank above them, followed by Giant. Each carried a bundle of clothing under his arm and some shoes in his hand.

"Well, what does this mean?" demanded the doctor's son, as the others drew closer.

"You're fine fellows to stay away so long," grumbled Giant.

"We called to you about a million times that we wanted help," put in Whopper.

"Well, we've had our troubles of our own," answered Snap. "A big, angry ram came after us and held us prisoners for awhile. But what happened here? Did somebody run away with our outfits."

"Yes, and we had a great time getting them again," answered Whopper.

"We had to run after the chaps barefooted," came from Giant.

"Just look at my feet," and he showed how they had been cut and scratched.

"Who were they?" demanded the doctor's son.

"We don't know exactly, but we've got our suspicions," answered the small boy.

"There were two of them," said Whopper. "Both good-sized fellows.

We didn't hear them until they had all the clothes in their arms and were running away. As soon as they heard us coming both threw their coats up over their heads, so we wouldn't recognize them.

They would have gotten away sure only Giant yelled that he would fire a pistol at them if they didn't stop and then they, got scared and dropped the clothing in a ditch."

"And who do you think they were?" asked Snap.

"Ham Spink and Carl Dudder."

"Why, they aren't home from boarding school yet!" cried Shep.

"I don't care, that's what I think," said Giant, st.u.r.dily. "I know just how those fellows look and walk. Of course I didn't see their faces, but I am pretty sure they were Ham and Carl."

"They may have gotten home during the last day or two," said Snap, slowly, "and it would be just like them to lay around waiting to play some mean trick on us. If they had gotten off with our clothing we'd have been in a fine pickle truly!"

"That's right---worse than with the ram," answered the doctor's son, and then he and Snap told of what had occurred on the other side of the river.

"Too bad you lost those strawberries," sighed Whopper. "I like strawberries so much I could eat about-----"

"A million platesful," finished Snap, with a grin.

"No, I was going to say a spoonful or two," said Whopper, and then Snap groaned.

The boys found two socks, a collar and a necktie missing, and a long search around failed to bring the articles to light. One of the unders.h.i.+rts had been knotted up tightly, and Shep had to "chaw on the beef," as boys call it, to get the knots untied.

"I'd like to know if it really was Ham and Carl," he growled. "If it was I'll fix them for this new trick of theirs."

"How were they dressed?" asked Snap.

"Each wore a brown suit, kind of yellow brown," answered Whopper.

"I'd know 'em out of a million.

"We'll lay for them, Whopper."

Having donned their clothing, the four boys started back for town.

To get to the road they had to cross a wide pasture, and when they were in the middle of this they saw a man approaching. The man carried a heavy cane, which he shook at them.

"h.e.l.lo, it's Mr. Spink!" cried Snap.

"Come to warn us away, I suppose," grumbled the doctor's son. "Shall I tell him about what was done to our clothing?"

"No," answered Whopper. "We are not certain it was Ham and Carl."

Mr. Spink was a tall, overbearing man, who dressed almost as loudly as did his son. He strode up to the four lads with a dark look on his face, and this look grew even more resentful when he recognized them.

"Ha! so you are going to come here in spite of my warnings, eh?"

he said, harshly.

"You haven't warned us or anything, Mr. Spink," answered Snap, calmly.

"Can't you read? Doesn't the sign say, 'All trespa.s.sing forbidden'?

That is plain English, isn't it?"