"Well, if the ghost visits us maybe we'll be scared too," answered
Giant. "I don't believe in bragging until I've experienced a thing."
"Giant doesn't want to be like the man who bragged of what he would do in case of a fire at his house," said Whopper. "He was going to be calm and careful and do things just so. When the fire came he was the most excited fellow on the block, and he carried the feather bed downstairs and then went up again and threw himself out of the third story window."
The boys were content to take it easy for the rest of the day, and for the balance of that week they did little but fish and "laze around," as Giant put it. Shep shot several birds and tried his skill at cleaning and stuffing them, for he took an interest in taxidermy. Snap hung up the deer skin to be cured.
On Sunday it rained, and the storm continued Monday and the greater part of Tuesday. But the cabin was practically waterproof, so they were comfortable. To pass the time they played games, and cooked and baked many things which would have caused a chef to throw up his hands in wonder. They even made some rhubarb pie from some wild rhubarb found near the camp and this proved to be really excellent. Once Giant concocted a new dish made of fish stuffed with beans and flour paste, but this was not voted a success. Having sufficient sugar they made some candy one evening and this disappeared as if by magic.
On Wednesday morning Whopper, who had been outside to bring in some firewood, came rushing to the cabin in great excitement.
"Somebody has been at our game! Some person or a wild animal!"
"How do you know?"
"The meat is gone! Only a few bones remain!"
"Then it must have been a wildcat or a bear!" exclaimed Snap.
All ran to the spot where the meat had been hung up. The tree was scratched up and there were curious marks in the damp soil under it.