Dave Porter At Bear Camp: or, The Wild Man of Mirror Lake

"I'm thinking he will make himself scarce," returned Dave, with a grim smile.

In the meantime Della Ford had come down to the side of the canoe.

"Where are you staying, Miss Wadsworth?" questioned the young actress.

"At a bungalow near the end of the lake," returned Jessie, and explained about the location and who were in the party.

"Oh, how delightful! You will surely have a splendid time here. We are located in the cottage around the bend where you perhaps saw the motor-boat tied up. I am sure we'll be very glad to have you call on us."

"Thank you; perhaps we'll get this way again some time," returned Jessie, somewhat coolly.

"You must come and see us, Mr. Porter, by all means," went on the young moving picture actress when our hero returned to the side of the canoe. "And bring the others along, too. I liked the appearance of your chums. You all seemed to be so jolly."

"Dave, don't you think we ought to be going?" questioned Jessie.

"Just as you say," he answered, and dipped his paddle into the lake.

"Then you don't want to stay and take part in that other picture?" called out Della Ford, as the canoe began to leave the dock.

"Not to-day, Miss Ford," called back Dave. "But I may get into one of your pictures just for the fun of it."

"Do! And don't forget to call at the cottage," returned the young lady; and then the canoe passed out of hearing of those on the shore, and a dozen strong strokes of the paddle sent the frail craft out of sight around another headland.

"That certainly was a surprise," was Dave's comment, as they passed along under some overhanging trees. "I never dreamed of coming across that moving-picture company in such a fashion as that."

"What did you get out for?" asked Jessie, curiously.

"I wanted to ask Mr. Appleby about Link Merwell. He didn't know Link was a criminal. He says if Link shows himself up here he will make him a prisoner and notify us."

"Isn't it queer that Link should join that company!"

"Rather, although I suppose he has got to do something for a living, – and I guess he isn't the fellow to pick out hard work. Acting in the movies must be easy – and lots of fun in the bargain."

"You are not going to act with them, are you, Dave?" questioned Jessie, with her big round eyes full upon him.

"Oh, I don't know. I think perhaps it might be sport."

"I don't think so."

"Miss Ford tried to make a regular hero out of me. I wish she wouldn't do that."

"Well, it was a grand thing for you to do – to pull her out of the water, Dave, and she ought to be exceedingly grateful. Just the same, I don't think I like her very much," and Jessie pouted a little.

"Is that so? Why, I thought she was real nice."

"She's awfully forward."

"I didn't notice that. But maybe it's her calling makes her so. An actress can't be just like other people."

"I think she might be when she wasn't acting. Anyway, I think she was too – well, too gushing."

"I noticed that you didn't give her any invitation to call when she invited you," went on Dave, after a pause, during which they left the vicinity of the shore and swept out into Mirror Lake.

"Why should I? Mamma might not approve of it. I don't think she has a very high opinion of moving-picture actors and actresses."

"And I guess you haven't either, Jessie," returned Dave, somewhat bluntly.

"Oh, I don't know about that," and the girl tossed her head. "They have a right to act in the movies if they want to. They've got to earn their living some way, I suppose. Don't you think we had better be getting back, Dave?"

"Why, it's early yet, Jessie!"

"Never mind, I think I would rather go back. Now that the sun is overhead it is quite warm."

Dave started to answer, and then suddenly shut his mouth tightly. The paddle went deeper into the water, and the canoe shot around quickly in a long semicircle.

"Oh, Dave! don't tip us over!"

"Don't fear. The canoe won't go over if you sit perfectly still," he replied, in a tone that was somewhat unsympathetic.

"Are you going back to the bungalows?"

"Why, certainly. That was what you wanted – to go back; wasn't it?"

"We haven't got to race back, have we?"

"I'm not racing; but I thought you wanted to get out of this hot sun."

"Dave, I think you're angry with me," returned Jessie, reproachfully, but she did not raise her eyes as before. Instead she kept them fastened on the bottom of the canoe.

"Angry? What foolishness! What is there for me to be angry about?"

"Oh, you know well enough."

"I don't see why you should feel so cut up over Miss Ford. I can't help it if she is grateful – as you put it – for my saving her from drowning; can I?"

"Oh, it isn't that, Dave. Of course she ought to be grateful. But you – you – " Jessie's voice broke a little and she could not go on.

"Me? I haven't done a thing! Didn't you hear me tell her to quit it?"

"Oh, it wasn't what you said. It was – But never mind, let us get back to the bungalow." And Jessie kept her eyes on the bottom of the canoe, refusing to look at her companion.

"And I'm sure I didn't do a thing either. Now please don't be silly and – "

"Dave! Silly!"

"I didn't mean that exactly, Jessie. But you know – "

"It's not a bit nice for you to call me silly!" retorted the girl, her face flaming.