"If you knew the A-B-C of fishing," Reade continued, "you'd know that one must have a boat in order to go after bass." "Don't they ever come near enough to shore to be caught without the aid of a boat?" Danny Grin demanded. Tom snorted. "Tell me," insisted Dalzell. "You're stringing me," protested Tom. "No; I'm after information," Dan asserted. "If you really don't know," Tom resumed, "I'll tell you that black bass are generally caught only by trolling for them. That is, if I fish for bass I've got to keep playing my line over the stern while someone else rows the boat." "You've a positive genius for picking out the easy half of the job," Danny Grin murmured admiringly. "The trolling part of the job merely looks easy," Tom went on, good-humoredly. "The fellow who is doing the fisherman act must have all the brains, while the fellow at the oars may be a real dolt, for all he has to know. I'll take you out with me after black bass, Danny, if we can get hold of a boat one of these days." "Who'll do the rowing?" asked Dalzell suspiciously. "Naturally you will," was Reade's answer. "Can't we find a boat somewhere about here?" asked Hazelton eagerly. "I haven't seen one on any part of the lake that is visible from here," Prescott put in. "I don't know why, but this so called second lake doesn't seem to be a popular spot. There isn't a house to be seen anywhere along the shore on either side, and I doubt if there's a boat on this sheet of water." "I don't believe there is a boat, either---and just look at that!" cried Reade, as three distinct splashes about an eighth of a mile out showed how frequently the bass were leaping. "It's tough---not to have a chance at good sport!" declared Dave Darrin impatiently. "We fellows ought to search this old shore, anyway, to see if we can't find some sort of craft." "Come along, then!" urged Tom, leaping to his feet. "I can't stand this state of affairs much longer. Look at that, out there. Four bass jumping within fifteen seconds. This is cruelty to fishermen!" "Tom, you take Dan and Harry, and go up along the shore," proposed Dick. "I'll take the others with me, and we'll go down along the shore. Each party will walk and search for half an hour, and then return, unless we find a boat sooner." "Aren't you going to leave someone to watch the camp?" asked Danny Grin. "It is hardly necessary," decided Prescott. "But Bert Dodge-----" suggested Greg. "For Dodge to be out here so early he'd have to be up by five in the morning, and make an early start," Dick rejoined. "I don't believe he's industrious enough for that." "The camp will be all right," Dave agreed. "Of course," Tom assented. "Anyway, there's nothing here worth stealing that would be small enough to carry away." "Except the food," hinted Danny Grin. "This is too far off the main roads for tramps to come this way," Dick replied. So Dalzell, with a sigh, rose to accompany Reade and Hazelton.