"But it was hard work to keep straight faces, wasn't it, girls?" Julie appealed to her companions.
"Yes, indeed! And when Julie left us to bring back the proof of his joking, that was best of all," added Joan.
"Yes, you see I got him to say that hunters who found a wild animal could claim it, if it was in season, so I went to the barn where I knew our 'wild animals' would be, and not only found them, but caught them, also. Being in season, we claimed them. Thus we turned Gilly's joke on himself, as he sure was amazed to find that we took him at his word, and kept the 'ferocious' beasts!" Julie laughed so heartily that every one joined in, never doubting but that the merriment was natural and genuine.
"So that is how we became owners of the calf, the pig, and the nice spring chicken you just finished," added Julie.
Mr. Gilroy now cleared his throat to say something in self-defence, but every one laughed loudly again, the boys believing Julie's tale, and the girls hoping to keep up the deception.
"Poor dear old Gilly! We renamed him this morning. He is to be Foxy Grandpa hereafter, you know; not alone because he told the Grey Foxes what he was going to do, but because he planned such a beautiful snare and ran into it himself," said Joan.
"As if you boys would believe we were 'greenies' in camplife! Why, just look around and see our work! Is there anything here to prove we are such ignoramuses as to believe a calf-track could possibly be a deer-print?" asked Julie, scornfully.
"You're right, you girls sure can do scout things," said Alec, admiringly.
"This dinner alone would prove it!" exclaimed Bob.
"Any one who can find Indian cucumbers and Wapitos, when we boys have hunted and hunted, and never succeeded, is a first-class scout, and no mistake about it!" declared Dick, enthusiastically. So Mr. Gilroy decided not to speak in self-defence any more.