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IN CAMP ON THE BIG SUNFLOWER

By

LAWRENCE J. LESLIE

[Illustration: MAKING PREPARATIONS FOR THE FEAST]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I.—AN ALARM IN THE CAMP

II.—TREASURE HUNTING

III.—WHAT OWEN KNEW

IV.—THE UNKNOWN SHELL GATHERERS

V.—A PUZZLER FOR MAX

VI.—THE FIRST CROP FROM THE RIVER

VII.—BANDY-LEGS WANTS TO KNOW

VIII.—A GREAT FIND

IX.—MAX WONDERS STILL MORE

X.—AT DEAD OF NIGHT

XI.—THE NEW COOK SPRINGS HIS SURPRISE

XII.—DANGER AHEAD ON THE TRAIL

XIII.—MAX PLAYS THE GOOD SAMARITAN

XIV.—SETTING THE MAN TRAP AGAIN

XV.—THE MYSTERY SOLVED—CONCLUSION

IN CAMP ON THE BIG SUNFLOWER.

CHAPTER I.

AN ALARM IN THE CAMP.

"Hey, Bandy-legs, what d'ye suppose ails Toby there?"

"He sure looks like he'd just seen a ghost, for a fact, Steve. Where are
Max and his cousin Owen just now?"

"Oh, they walked down along the river bank to look for signs of fresh-waterclams. So we'll just have to run things ourselves, Bandy. Hello! there,Toby, what under the sun are you staring at?" and the boy called Stevejumped to his feet as he called out.

It was night in the woods, with a cheery camp fire blazing close to wherethe restless river fretted and scolded along its crooked course.

The boy called Toby, whose last name happened to be Jucklin, also scrambledto his feet when thus hailed by his campmate, Steve Dowdy.

He was a broad-shouldered chap, unusually husky in build, and apparently asstrong as an ox; but all his life poor Toby had been afflicted with anunfortunate impediment in his speech that gave him no end of trouble.

When the third boy also stood erect it was plain to see how he came by hisname. His legs were bowed, and appeared too short for his body. "Now openup and tell us what you saw, Toby," demanded Steve, who was by natureinclined to be what his chums called "bossy."

"L-l-land's sake, didn't you s-s-see it, fellows?" asked the troubled one,his voice trembling with the excitement under which he was laboring.

"Stick a pin in him, Steve," advised Bandy-legs; "that's the easiest way tomake him talk straight English, you know."

"Don't you dare try it, now, I tell you," warned the other, forgetting toeven stutter in his indignation. "I'm going to tell you about it just whenI'm good and ready. G-get that, now?"

"Please commence then, Toby," pleaded the shorter boy. "Was it a real ghostyou saw, or a snake? I'm terribly set against the crawlers, you remember."

"S-shucks! 'Twan't no s-snake, Bandy; I give you my word for that. But ithad the awfulest glittering eyes you ever s-saw, boys."

"Wow! listen to that for a starter, will you?" cried Steve.

"Keep going, Toby; don't let up now," begged the boy with the crooked legs.

"I just couldn't make out for sure, b-but b-back of the eyes I thought Icould see——"

"Oh, what?" asked Bandy-legs, feverishly.

...