Part 20 (2/2)

”And I'd like to fish here now,” said Joe, as a fish jumped half out of the water just ahead of the canoe.

”Fis.h.!.+ Hooray! Say, Joe,” Bob called, ”if I get a fish early to-morrow, will you cook him for breakfast?”

”You bet!”

”You horrid things,” said Alice. ”We'll probably be eating breakfast food and canned peaches in the hotel. I hope you don't get your old fish.”

”Ain't that just like a girl!” said Bob.

They paddled slowly and reluctantly back, as the sunset lit the snow-fields on the great peaks to the east, and turned them pink. The supper gong rang as they landed.

”Now, Bob, be back right after supper, if you want to see that bear,”

Mills called, and Joe and Bob hurried to their camp to get a quick supper.

All they bothered with was soup, some fried ham, and pancakes, with tea.

They had large quant.i.ties of those things, however, and didn't stop to wash the dishes.

”This is no time to be fussy,” Bob said. ”I'll never tell. We gotter see old Mr. Bear.”

So they hurried back to the trail, where Joe took out a handkerchief, and tied it to a branch.

”What's the big idea?” Bob demanded.

”Well, it's so dark here now you can just barely see the trail,” Joe said. ”We could never tell where to turn off by the time we get back.

Don't want to be hunting all night for our camp.”

”I get you, Sherlocko,” Bob replied. ”Now for the bear. Hurry up!”

The entire party was waiting when they reached the hotel, and Mills led the way, back by another road into the cedars, which were now very dark.

A lot of other guests were moving in the same direction. After a way, a strong smell began to a.s.sault the nose.

”Smells to me like swill,” said Bob.

”Garbage, Robert, is a nicer word,” said his mother.

”Well, it doesn't change the smell any,” he answered.

Mills said nothing, but walked on, while the smell grew stronger, and in a moment, by the dim light, they saw that the hotel garbage had been dumped on both sides of the roadway. Just ahead a group of people had stopped, and Mills led the way up to this group.

”There,” said he, ”I promised you one, but I see five.”

”Where? I don't see anything,” said Congressman Elkins.

He was standing on the extreme edge of the road, and just as he spoke something big and dark and mysterious gave a grunt and with a crash of broken sticks reared up not six feet from him.

The congressman jumped back and nearly upset Mrs. Jones, who screamed.

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