"Such a careless lot shouldn't be trusted alone on the mighty deep," chuckled thin John Hackett, or "Hatchet," as he was sometimes called by the boys.

"I think you will admit, Nat, that you took a big risk in running right in front of us," expostulated Bob.

"Admit nothing," snapped Nat. "Next time, you'd better be more careful, or an awful lot of trouble will suddenly spring up. If this river isn't wide enough, you'd better put out a danger flag for the benefit of the canal-boats."

The Pirates of the Bounding Deep began to laugh again. Their boat suddenly started off, described a circle around the stern of the "Rambler" and then proceeded at full speed in the direction from whence it had come.

"Perhaps it will teach them a lesson," said Dave Brandon. "I wonder if they are going to trail us continually."

"It looks very much that way," admitted Bob. "But we must try to avoid them as much as possible."

The incident had taken place upon a very beautiful reach of the river. The sun was glancing over the tops of an extensive pine forest, through the cool and pleasant depths of which shone arrow-like streaks of light, touching, here and there, the tall, straight trunks and thick masses of underbrush.

"A regular sylvan retreat," vouchsafed Dave, the nature-lover. "Look at those inviting shadows, and that rock, peeping between the tree trunks and glistening like silver. It only needs a little singing brook to make it an ideal haunt for painter or poet."

He took out his well-thumbed copy of Bryant, and read:

"I'm hungry as a bear," interrupted the more practical Dick Travers.

Dave closed the book. "Always the material pleasures," he said, with comical severity. "But since the Pirates favor us by their absence, it might be a good plan to lunch."

Accordingly, the prow of the "Rambler" was turned shoreward, and the boat was soon snugly ensconced by the side of a little bank, and in the midst of a profusion of aquatic leaves and tall grasses.

Dick Travers and Sam Randall, guns in hand, scrambled on shore, while Tom lighted the stove and began his culinary duties.

The tin dishes were soon in place on an improvised table of boards, and nothing 

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