The boys had had an early breakfast, and now they filled one of their game bags with a well-cooked lunch, and also carried with them a thermos bottle filled with hot chocolate.
"We don't want to run short on food," cautioned Andy. "Gee! what an appetite this fresh air gives a fellow!"
"Right you are!" answered Fred. "I could eat five or six meals a day and never mind it at all."
"I'm glad we have managed to bring down so many squirrels and rabbits," put in Randy. "If it wasn't for that, we might have run a little short on eating. I'm a little bit tired of squirrel stew and rabbit potpie, although they are a whole lot better than going hungry."
Barney Stevenson came out to see them off.
"Going down to that brook where you saw the mink?" he questioned, referring to a tiny watercourse, now, of course, frozen up, located near the southern end of the island.
"Yes. And maybe we'll get away down to the other cabin," answered Jack. "We thought we'd like to take a look around there."
"And if we don't come back to-night, you'll know that we're staying at that cabin," said Fred.
"Oh, we didn't calculate to stay out all night," put in Jack quickly.
"I know we didn't. But it's just possible it may get too late for us to come back, and that cabin would be comfortable enough, especially if we managed to drag in some pine boughs for beds."