In Camp on the Big Sunflower

his old camp?" Bandy-legs was saying in a disgusted ton

you miss now

cap we found last nig

Max replied. "Do you m

really a warm-hearted boy, as his chums well knew; "and when we came here to this new camp I remember as plain as an

nose on your face, Band

ose, if it is big. And it never yet made a habit of sticking itself in other people's b

was likely to take this as a challenge. Therefore, to

nd Toby about it?" he

ight away," ca

determined to sift the matter down, trifling

never even been near this sam

queer," St

ld cap just where I stuck

go, Owen?"

t quite a start, because at first I thought it was somebody watching us.

carried it away,

aculated the puzzled one, eagerly clutching a

it, Max?" a

right, Steve, but unfortun

e morning," Max went on, with a chuckle. "I remember wishing it would come up, fo

uld easily hear all that was said, "no breez

dy-legs, bent on getting some

eem able to disappear without anybody taking 'em. First we had to lose our bully little

aughed as he said this. "When that cap went away it w

ieves some gay old mother squirrel just took a notion to

examining the ground right now, will you? I reckon he thinks that same

Max laug

nd if you look where I point, all of you can see the same

ows, for here it

ax warned them to be careful, so that the impressio

Toby, in apparent disgust; "when even a r-r-runt of a boy c'n s

better right to that cap, I'd like to know, than the boy that owns it. Put yourself in his place, Toby, and tell me if y

ke the looks of our c

ink he didn't?" Ow

e he was afraid of

ll, that s-s-scared him, though Bandy-legs does resemble a terr

pecial mark, while he ran a hand fondly up and down the sleeve of the

" broke out To

e sort of deputy sheriffs, and up here to give the man he's with trouble. Anyh

well once too often. You mark my words, if he keeps on

-legs, grimly. "We want that

too," observed another of t

over him again; for it was Steve

ould i

ay was long, his only faults being a hasty temper, an

mply because he happened to be fascinated by

and rubbed his eyes with his knuckles, as thoug

ly completed his preparations for lunch. They had decided to have the heavy meal, ca

labors, it would be nice to gather around, and take their time in enjoying

tion of the opportunity to shine as a talented chef Bandy-legs had in s

impatience. He surely calculated that when his chums saw what wonderful

egs had muc

ence between cooking at a gas range or the family coal stove and tryin

t the chances were poor Bandy-legs must get the formulas mixed, which woul

o were to do the grand wading act of

s from Max concerning the best way for finding th

in the supposed course of the winding rive

camp," he finished, pointing to a dotted line that seemed to be

g to always know wha

, receivin

gave a snor

?" he demanded, dangling a little nickel-pla

considerably relieved; for truth to tell, if Bandy-legs feared any one thing more than another, it was the ha

t-trinket," continued Toby, exultantly, "I'd k

Guess I heard Max tell that, all right. Never forget it, either. But how the dickens

is information might be useful to his chum; "the hard storms

ough to tell the truth I

legs r

d Max, seriously. "It's the fellow who keeps awake, and sees and hears

ct that I want to wake up and do better. But about that moss-does it alw

de the right direction. Then in the night you have the north star, which you know can always be found by drawing an im

tch could be made to serve as a compass; how about that, Max?"

better be moving now," and Max turned his back on the other as th

tarted to follow the trail left by Max and Stev

s shell gatherer, what ought we to

business, that's all. Nobody will hurt you,