“But he got up and walked away, fer he saw it was all a joke an’ he wasn’t goin’ to stand fer such nonsense any longer,” concluded Teddy, and arising to his feet, he squinted comically first at Link and then Harry. “Yer fine lads to play such a trick on me,” he added. “Supposin’ I’d had me gun an’ shot off both yer heads?” The end of this speech was lost in a burst of laughter from behind the trees, and Joe, Bart and Fred ran into view. “Hullo, Teddy, how do you like Injuns?” queried Fred. “Teddy, your voice is fine when you stand on your head and sing,” came from Bart. “Oh, stop yer foolin’,” said the Irish boy, calming down. “Sure, didn’t I know it was a joke all along.” “Oh, Teddy, did you know it?” asked Harry. “To be sure I did.” “I don’t believe it.” “All right then,” and the Irish lad tossed his head into the air. “I wasn’t goin’ to spoil——” “Teddy, you’re drawing on your imagination,” burst in Link. “But we’ll let it pass.” “Wait till I’m after gettin’ square,” said Teddy, and put up one finger warningly. “Never mind, the song was O. K.,” said Fred. “Did your father really make it up?” “And what’s the end of the second verse?” queried Link. “No, me father had nothin’ to do wid it. I got it out of an old joke book, an’ I’ve forgotten the end of it. That’s the reason I made up an endin’.” “Three cheers for Teddy, the acrobatic songster,” cried Fred, and the cheers were given with a will. The cheers put the Irish lad in a better humor; but it was a long time before he forgot how they had played Indian on him. “What’s all the cheering about?” asked Joel Runnell, as they came back to camp, Link and Harry having first wiped the red mud off their faces and hidden away the feathers and blankets. “We’ve been initiating Teddy into a secret society,” said Link. “Didn’t know you had a secret society.” “This is the Forest Wanderers,” put in Harry. “Teddy is now Head Chief of the Royal Frying Pan.” “You’ve been cutting up high jinks,” said old Runnell, with a smile. “Well, it’s all right, but don’t none o’ you git hurt, that’s all,” and there the affair ended. Joe and Harry had not forgotten about the three tramps, and were anxious to make a hunt for the rascals, but the next morning Joel Runnell asked all hands to go down to the lake front with him and help erect a shelter on the ice, from which they might spear some pike and other fish. “It’s too cold to stay out there without a shelter,” said he, and directly after breakfast they set to work. The fishing-wigwam, as the boys named it, was a primitive affair, built up of long tree branches, set in a circle of snow. The branches were fastened together at the top, like the poles of an Indian wigwam, and then snow was packed around on the outside to a point just above their heads.