At about eleven o'clock they reached the old swimming-place near the head of the lake and halted by general consent. Hitherto, they had considered the spot solely from the point of view of aquatic sport; now they realized that a more ideal spot for a camp could scarcely be imagined. A small, rocky point thrust its flat nose out into the lake. One side was sliced off as with a knife, and here the depth varied from six to eight feet; on the other it shelved more gradually. Back of it, the level open space, facing south and hedged in by a thick shelter of hemlock, would accommodate five or six shelter-tents with ease. Scarcely a dozen yards away, a clear spring bubbled into a mossy basin. In an instant packs were laid aside, and under Becker's direction one party foraged for wood while another brought stones for an oven and cut saplings for the crane or forked sticks to use in broiling meat. Sandwiches and other ready-to-eat provisions were not looked upon with favor. Every boy wanted something he could cook, and the variety of chops, small steaks, eggs, bacon, ham, and the like that swiftly appeared was endless. One enterprising scout had even brought a can of twist-dough and proceeded deftly to brown it on sticks held over the embers. On every hand were voiced regrets that they couldn't have come prepared to stay overnight. "I don't believe it would have been too cold, with the fire and everything," said Bennie Rhead, after they had finished luncheon and were sitting lazily around the blaze for a bit before tackling the job of cleaning up. "Why, it's as warm as toast now." "Naturally, with the sun pouring in here all the morning," smiled Mr. Curtis. "You'd find it rather different at night. If we all had sleeping-bags or tents that were really tight, we might undertake it. But our sort of equipment isn't meant for winter, and there's no use risking colds when you'll have all the time you want next spring and summer. By the way, Sherman, did you send that letter to Mr. Grimstone?" "Yes, sir. Ted and Ranny and I made it up, and all the fellows signed it. I posted it on Wednesday." "That's good. I wrote him, myself, but I wanted him to see that you fellows, as well, appreciated what he's done." He rested his head against a tree-trunk and glanced appraisingly around the glade. "What a place this would be for a log-cabin!" he remarked. "Immense!" exclaimed Court Parker, sitting suddenly upright. "With a big stone fireplace at one end." "And bunks!" added Sanson, enthusiastically. "And shelves where we could keep pans and things. And--" "We could camp here any time of the year then, couldn't we?" "Sure! And think of coming in when your hands and feet are 'most frozen from skating, and thawing out before a roaring blaze, and making some cocoa,--oh, yum! Do you s'pose there's any chance, Mr. Curtis, of his letting us--" Sherman broke off with a sigh. "I forgot. He doesn't want any timber cut."