"I'd like to bring one of them down," said the oldest Rover boy.
"Well, we might as well go after the mink as do anything," answered Fred. He was growing just a bit tired of going after nothing but rabbits and squirrels. For two days they had seen nothing else at which to shoot. Even the wolves and wild turkeys kept well out of sight.
The boys found old Uncle Barney polishing his gun. He told them, however, that he was not going out hunting, but was going into the woods to inspect some of the trees with a view to cutting them down for lumber.
"You won't have no easy time of it getting a mink," he said. "The only way I ever got 'em was in a trap. Howsomever, go ahead and enjoy yourselves. Hunting is a good deal like fishing—you can have lots of fun even if you don't get anything," and he chuckled. Nevertheless, his face looked as if he was somewhat worried.
"I'll wager he's thinking about Ruth's father and that meeting they may have," said Randy, when the Rovers were alone and preparing to go out on the hunt.
"Either that, Randy, or else he is brooding over the trouble Professor Lemm and Mr. Brown are making for him."
"There's one thing I can't understand about this," put in Andy. "Why should those men be so anxious to obtain possession of an island like this? It isn't very large, and the lumber on it can't be worth a great deal. I should think they could pick up a piece of real estate almost anywhere that would be far more valuable than this."
"Now you're saying something that I've been thinking right along," answered Jack. "Even if they wanted this place for a summer resort, it wouldn't bring any great sum of money."
"One thing is certain," said Fred; "they are very eager to get possession."
"Yes. And another thing is certain, too," added Jack. "That is, Uncle Barney isn't going to let them have it if he can possibly stop them."