"Let's be generous to them," whispered Shep to his chums. "I don't think we want to stay after the circus people come for the lion and the chimpanzee." And after some talking the young hunters offered the Spink crowd part of their food supplies and a few other things. This surprised Ham, Carl and the rest. They accepted the offer on the spot, and a better feeling prevailed between the boys than had for many months.
"It's very nice of you to do this," said Dick Bush. "I shan't forget it."
"I'm sorry I accused you of ruining the camp," came from Ham.
"So am I," added Carl. "But—-well, you know how it was."
"We'll let bygones be bygones," said the doctor's son. "It's better to be friends than enemies."
"I—-I suppose so," said Ham humbly, and then he and his cronies took their departure.
The young hunters watched out for the reappearance of Jed Sanborn, Snap and Shep going to Firefly Lake for that purpose. Two days later they saw the old hunter coming to the shore with a big flat-bottomed boat, containing four men. The men were from the circus and said they had come for the captured lion.
"We want to make sure of that reward," said the doctor's son.
"All right, young man, turn the lion over to us and the money is yours," said one of the men. "But we'll want a receipt from all the boys who captured the beast."
"You'll get that," said Snap. "You offered a reward for the chimpanzee, too, didn't you?"