Dick later on often found himself watching Asa Gardner when he fancied the other was not noticing. He could see that the boy was not wholly at ease for some reason. Still Dick would not allow himself to believe that Asa was guilty.
“I can’t forget that day I saw him lying there on his mother’s grave and promising her never to break his word if it killed him fighting off the old temptation,” Dick kept telling himself again and again. “No, Asa can’t be guilty, but all the same I’ll feel a heap happier when we do find out who the thief is.”
Presently the boys were summoned into the big tent where Mr. Bartlett carried out the usual short chapel service, for every camp of the Y. M. C. A. is conducted on a religious basis.
“I am ready now,” announced the camp director, “to give you a part of the duties of the day. At noon I shall have formed my plans for the rest of the time, and by to-morrow we shall have gotten things to running smoothly. In the first place this camp is going to be no place for idlers. Every boy will have a share in the work and be expected to do his level best in keeping the camp tidy, doing the chores, and, in fact, whatever is given into his charge.
“Mr. Rowland, who will have entire charge of the athletic proceedings, has arranged a splendid series of events that he expects will create a healthy rivalry among many of the boys who are now with us. Prizes will be given to those who excel in nature study, photography, swimming, diving, rowing, life-saving feats, woodcraft, and a number of other things along the same lines. And now if you listen I will read the programme for this morning, so that every one may know just what he is expected to do.”
The boys showed a keen interest in what the camp director was saying, although Nat and his two cronies still looked disappointed, because they did not fancy the idea of being bound down to iron-clad rules and regulations when they had expected to loaf and to have a roaring good time.
The vicinity of the camp soon took on a bustling atmosphere. Some planks had been brought from the station on one of the wagons. These some of the boys, who aspired to be amateur carpenters, managed to fashion into a very good table, large enough to allow them all to be seated at the same time, to replace the rougher one thrown together when they first landed.
This could be moved at will, so that in case of bad weather they would be able to take their meals under the shelter of the big tent. Ordinarily, however, they preferred dining in the open, for the charm of the thing appealed to the campers.
A number of rude benches had also been put together, so that things would look quite comfortable by the time another meal was ready to be served.
Being appealed to by several ardent fishermen, the camp director had given them permission to make good use of the handy little minnow seine made of mosquito netting. The bait thus secured could be kept alive in a basin constructed near the edge of the lake, into which water from a spring trickled.