"A fierce-looking lot—that's sure," exclaimed Nat.
Nevertheless, as the three drew up to the camp, our friends saw that their faces were not unprepossessing.
"Hello!—Hello!" they exclaimed, almost in one breath, nodding to the boys in a friendly way.
"Hello!" responded the young hunters, cheerfully.
"We are occupying that cabin across the lake," began one of the youths who appeared to be the elder, "and have several times noticed your camp-fire. So we thought that being so close together it might be well to form a society for mutual protection."
"For mutual protection?" echoed Hackett, in a questioning tone.
"Exactly!" returned the other, with a smile. "Now, I don't know what experience in hunting you may have had, but this time of year, wolves are apt to be on the rampage, and when a howling pack of 'em gets after you—well, a fellow generally wishes he was somewhere else."
"Do you think they are likely to come around here?" put in Tom Clifton.
"They may. Then, in camp life, certain emergencies are liable to arise, when assistance is needed. But I forgot"—the speaker paused, then added, with a short laugh—"before I go any further, we had better introduce ourselves. My name is Charlie Piper."
"Mine is Rex Heydon," put in one of the others.