Before them, framed in a rim of black forest and rock, lay a lake of the deepest emerald green they had ever gazed upon. About the shore, and extending down to the water, white pebbles formed a mat for the picture.
"It is our Aerial Lake," declared Grace. "It is the same lake that we saw several days ago and that we bombarded with rocks." From somewhere in that vicinity the shots that had disturbed them undoubtedly had been fired. It was quite a large body of water, just how large they could not see, on account of a sharp bend in the lake, and intervening mountains.
"Aren't we going down to make camp now?" asked Elfreda Briggs.
"Yes, for I'm just dying to know what the secret, the great dark secret, of Aerial Lake really is," bubbled Emma.
"From all accounts it's a homely woman," laughed Nora.
"That was not a nice thing to say, Stacy," rebuked Grace, laughing in spite of her efforts to be stern. "It was decidedly ungracious."
"So are the kind I mean," retorted Stacy. "Hark!"
A rifle shot echoed through the canyons, but, though ears were strained to catch the sound, no second shot was heard.
"I wonder at whom they are shooting this time?" muttered Tom. "We are again reminded that we are not the only persons in the High Sierras, so let us be cautious."
"Watch your step, ladies and gentlemen," warned Stacy as the party started on.
The Overlanders chose a camp site back among the trees a few rods from the shore of the lake. This site was not only well screened from observation, but afforded an excellent view of the lake as far as the bend. Camp was quickly made, after which Stacy and Hippy shouldered their rifles and started out to get acquainted with their surroundings, as the party intended to remain at the lake for several days. The two had gone but a short distance from camp ere the Overlanders heard Chunky utter a shout.
"I've found an ark," he cried, pointing triumphantly to a dugout canoe that lay on the shore.
The dugout had been hewn from a solid log and bore indications of recent use. Stacy searched for a paddle but could not find one. While the Overlanders, who had hurried out to him, were discussing Stacy's find, Hippy was nosing about on the beach, closely observing the ground. He found boot tracks there, but they did not appear to have been recently made, so he decided that some days had elapsed since anyone had been on that particular spot.