“I don’t know much about that, Randy. Nowadays names don’t seem to count for much. You’ll go to a place called Rosedale and not find a rose in it.”
“Yes, I once went to a place called Cherryville,” said Spouter, “and so far as I could find out there wasn’t a cherry tree anywhere around.”
“How about Rocky Run?” questioned Jack. “Did any of you see any unusual amount of rocks around that place? I didn’t.”
“Well, let’s take a look at Big Bear Cove, anyway,” suggested Fred. “We’ve got lots of time. You can bet Jeff won’t be in any great hurry about dinner to-night.”
“More than likely he’ll just be starting it when we get back,” said Gif, his face clouding. “That coon certainly takes the medal for laziness. I wish dad would get rid of him.”
Still taking their time, the boys followed the shore of the lake for a quarter of a mile more and then turned into the opening known as Big Bear Cove. Here there were a number of small islands, all as well wooded as the Cat and Kittens.
“Seems to me this ought to be a lumberman’s paradise,” remarked Andy.
“Not such a paradise as you would think, Andy,” answered Gif. “You see, the growth is so thick none of the trees have much of a chance. Consequently, only a few of them are of a size to meet a lumberman’s approval. Many of them, too, are all twisted out of shape. There is one place back of our bungalow that is so thick it’s known locally as The Barrier because the lumbermen and hunters have found it impossible to get through the thickets.”
“Dandy place to get lost in, I’ll say,” remarked Randy dryly.