Canoe Boys and Campfires | Page 6

must be
all of two hundred miles to the Big River."
"I hope you are right there," said Ned heartily, as he climbed out on his
canoe and fixed the pennant securely on the bow. "Take your seats
now," he added to the boys. "Everything's ready for the start."
They obeyed with a rush and a scramble, and Nugget very nearly got a
ducking at the outset by thoughtlessly trying to stand up in the cockpit.
Good wishes and farewells were exchanged with the friendly farmer.
Then four double paddles dipped the water and rose flashing with
silvery drops, four canoes skimmed gracefully out on the swift blue
surface of the creek. The Jolly Rovers were off at last.
When they were twenty or thirty yards down stream they turned and
waved their paddles to the farmer, who was still standing in
open-mouthed wonder beside the empty packing cases. Then a cross
current, setting toward the right shore, whisked them out of sight of the
spot.
Randy struck up the chorus of a popular boating song, and the others
joined in with eager voices. Their jubilant spirits had to find a vent
somewhere.
What a glorious thing it was to be drifting haphazard with the rippling
current, free as the very air, and the birds that were singing sweetly in

the bushes! The narrow vista of the creek brought vividly to mind the
pleasures that lay in wait along the twisted miles of its channel--the
gamy bass lurking in the deep, shady holes, the snipe and woodcock
feeding among the reeds, the tent and campfire with the savory odor of
coffee and crisp bacon.
That less pleasant things than these were destined to fall to the lot of
the Jolly Rovers ere they should paddle from the mouth of the creek
into the broad Susquehanna, occurred to none, else a shadow had
marred their bright anticipations at the start.
Side by side the four canoes darted under the middle arch of the old
stone bridge, and then Ned took the lead, for it was not seemly that the
pennant should be anywhere but in front while the club was on a cruise.
The current soon became sluggish, and the channel wound between
thick woods, where the trees almost met overhead. The boys drifted
along leisurely, stopping now and then to explore some tempting nook.
At one place, where the water was deep and a great rock jutted from the
shore, they put their fishing rods together, and procured worms by
pulling up great clods of grass. In half an hour they caught a beautiful
string of sunfish and chubs.
About the middle of the afternoon Ned went up to a farmhouse that was
visible among the hills and came back with a pail of butter, a loaf of
bread and two apple pies. The boys had already lunched on crackers.
So they concluded to keep these supplies for supper.
They paddled slowly on, crossing from shore to shore as something
new took their attention. A sudden shadow, caused by the sun dipping
beneath the hill top, reminded them that evening was at hand. The
banks were closely scanned for a camping place, and an admirable one
was soon found--a grove of big trees, through which filtered a tiny
stream.
The boys landed and dragged the canoes partly out on the grassy slope.

"The tent is the first thing," said Ned, as he lifted the big roll of canvas
from the cockpit of the Pioneer, where it had served as an admirable
seat.
Randy unlashed the poles from the fore deck of his canoe, and joined
them together.
This was a clever invention of Ned's. Each pole was in two parts, and
could be put together like the joints of a fishing rod. The ferrule of the
ridge pole, which had to endure the most pressure, was longer and
stouter than the others. The poles were very light but strong, and the
entire six pieces made no perceptible burden when lashed on a canoe.
Five minutes sufficed to raise the tent, and drive the iron stakes at the
four corners. Then what articles would likely be needed were taken
from the canoes and carried inside.
Ned hunted up two large stones, and placed them a foot apart. He laid
four iron rods across them, and proceeded to build a fire underneath.
"That's the best cooking arrangement ever invented," he said. "We used
it altogether on the Susquehanna last summer. If I prepare the supper
you fellows must do the rest. Clay, you clean those fish. Bring me the
salt, pepper and lard, Randy, and then peel some potatoes."
"Can I assist in any way?" drawled Nugget, as he emerged from behind
the tent, where he had been slyly brushing off his clothes and