While the Fords and the boys proceeded to make themselves at home, the man who owned the launch got to work to fix his motor. A fire was lit and when it came lunch time the girls made hot coffee and fried some lake bass that had been caught that morning near the hotel. A table cloth was spread out under the trees, and all sat around it and enjoyed the coffee and fish, and the numerous good things brought along by the Fords from the hotel. “Say, Stuffer ought to see us now!” whispered Andy to Dale, while munching on a piece of cream cake. “Wouldn’t he turn green with envy!” “Yes, and what would Ritter and his crowd say?” answered Dale. “No hornets’ nest in this, eh?” And he smiled broadly. When the meal was ready the man from the launch had been called up from the shore, and he was given his share of the good things and sat off by himself to enjoy them. He said he had taken off a part of one of the cylinders of the launch and hoped, when he put it back, that the engine would work better. An hour was spent in eating, and then the man left the picnic ground to return to his work on the launch. The young folks cleared away the remains of the repast and then the boys invited the girls to take a walk completely around the island. “Be careful and don’t get into any trouble,” said Mrs. Ford. “We’ll stay here until you return.” The path around the shore of Butterfly Island was rough, but the young folks did not mind this. Jack led the way, and he and the other cadets helped the girls down and up the rocks, and “jumped” them over the hollows. All were in the best of spirits, and the woods rang with laughter. “Come on out to the headland,” said Andy presently, and led the way to a narrow strip of land extending out into the lake for fully a hundred feet. All followed and Andy was about to point out some object of interest when Pepper, who chanced to glance back, uttered a cry of alarm. CHAPTER XXI AN ADVENTURE WITH SNAKES “What’s the matter, Pepper?” questioned Jack, quickly. “What did you see?” asked Andy. “Why, I—er—I guess I was mistaken,” stammered Pepper, looking first at his chums and then at the girls. “But what was it?” questioned Laura. “Why, you gave a regular jump!” “Why I—er—that is—Oh, never mind,” answered Pepper. “Go on, I’ll be with you in a minute,” and he turned back on the rocks. “Something is wrong,” muttered Dale to himself, and as Andy and Jack went on with the girls he sided up to The Imp. “What was it?” he asked in a low tone. “I think I saw a big snake, Dale.” “A snake!” “Yes.” “Where?” “Back between the rocks we just crossed. It poked its head up and looked right at us.” “Then why didn’t you say so?” “I didn’t want to alarm the girls. If they thought a snake was near they’d have a fit.” “I suppose that is so. Well, I hate snakes myself. Let us see if this one is still around.”