"Excuse me," answered Whopper, drily. "I beg two million pardons, Ham. You see, I was holding the oar this way and I turned it so, and I---well, I declare, there she goes again!" And once more poor Ham received a shower of water over his rather elegant suit. "I'll---I'll have, the constable lock you up!" spluttered the dudish boy, backing away rapidly. "This is---er---outrageous---I'll--- I'll tell your folks!" "That's right, be a tattle-tale!" came from Giant, and then he began to sing softly. "Ham in the pan! Ham in the pan! Ham's the best of meat!" "Ham in the pan! Ham in the pan! Ham is good and sweet!" "You stop that!" roared Ham Spink, and then, as a dozen boys on the dock took up the darky song, he turned and strode away, with his rather short nose tilted high in the air. "Do you think he'll call on our folks about this?" whispered Whopper, somewhat anxiously. "I shouldn't like to leave under a cloud." "Oh! he hasn't got backbone enough to make trouble," answered Shep. But Shep was mistaken, as we shall learn later. The rowboat was now some distance from the dock, and with a final wave of the hand the boys began the journey to Lake Cameron. In a straight line the lake was about ten miles from the town, but the river was a winding one, so they had a row of over thirteen miles before them. "I hope we haven't forgotten anything," said Whopper. "It would be a shame to have to go back, eh, fellows?" "We are not going back," returned Giant. "If anything has been left behind we will have to get along without it." Having left the town behind, the boys reached a point on the stream where the trees and bushes were thick on either side. They turned in toward the left bank, where the sun was not quite so strong, for in spite of the fact that it was fall it promised to be warm. "Be careful along here," cautioned Shep. "There are some big rocks just under the surface." He had scarcely spoken when there came a terrific bump which almost threw him overboard. Whopper was sent sprawling on his side, and his oar sent a shower of water over Giant. "Wow!" came from Whopper. "Say, did we strike a fortress or what? I thought I was going to the bottom sure!" "I said to be careful," answered Shep, as the craft sheered off. "Either move out to the middle of the stream or else go slower." "No use of moving to the middle of the stream now," said Giant. "I want to land a short distance below here." "What for?" asked the others. "I'll show you when we get there." Presently they came to a clearing where there was a cornfield. Beyond this was a fine apple orchard, and looking among the trees they espied some especially fine apples. "We may as well take a few along," said Giant. "Who owns the orchard?" questioned Whopper. "Pop Lundy," answered Snap. "The meanest farmer in this district." "Then he won't give us any apples," declared Whopper.