Canoe Boys and Campfires

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Boys and Campfires, by William Murray Graydon

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Title: Canoe Boys and Campfires Adventures on Winding Waters
Author: William Murray Graydon
Release Date: June 21, 2007 [EBook #21888]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: THE JOLLY ROVERS WERE OFF AT LAST Canoe Boys and Camp Fires]
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[Illustration: THE FIVE MILE WALK WAS A TRIFLE TO THE BOYS--Page 110]
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CANOE BOYS AND CAMPFIRES
Or, Adventures on Winding Waters
BY WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDON
Author of "From Lake to Wilderness," "With Puritan and Pequod," "The Camp in the Snow," etc.
ILLUSTRATED
THE WORLD SYNDICATE PUBLISHING CO. CLEVELAND--NEW YORK
Made in U. S. A.
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Copyright, 1907, by Chatterton-Peck Company
PRESS OF THE COMMERCIAL BOOKBINDING CO. CLEVELAND
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. INTRODUCING THE BOYS 9
II. PLANNING THE TRIP 17
III. THE CRUISE BEGINS 23
IV. ADRIFT IN THE DARKNESS 32
V. DISAPPEARANCE OF NUGGET 40
VI. THE LOST FOUND 48
VII. BATTERS AND JOE 57
VIII. HOW THE DAY DAWNED 74
IX. A SAFE SHELTER 82
X. A TRAMP ACROSS COUNTRY 90
XI. SEARCHING FOR THE CAMP 99
XII. OVER THE CLIFF 107
XIII. WHAT CLAY SHOT 116
XIV. CAUGHT IN THE WHIRLPOOL 125
XV. RANDY'S PROPOSITION 133
XVI. A SHATTERED DELUSION 142
XVII. THE STORM BREAKS 149
XVIII. AT THE MERCY OF THE TEMPEST 156
XIX. ADRIFT ON A LOG 163
XX. MR. DUDE MOXLEY 170
XXI. A MYSTERIOUS WARNING 178
XXII. AN INSOLENT DEMAND 185
XXIII. A DARING ATTEMPT 192
XXIV. AN UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER 200
XXV. THE SIEGE BEGINS 207
XXVI. BUG'S PROPOSITION 215
XXVII. THE BURNING OF THE MILL 222
XXVIII. A GOOD DEED 229
XXIX. RANDY GOES SAILING 236
XXX. A NIGHT ALARM 243
XXXI. STORMY WEATHER 250
XXXII. THE BROKEN DAM 257
XXXIII. AN UNDERGROUND CRUISE 264
XXXIV. DESPAIR 270
XXXV. NUGGET DISCOVERS A LIGHT 275
XXXVI. HOME AGAIN 280
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CANOE BOYS AND CAMPFIRES
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCING THE BOYS
"I say, Ned, this is beginning to grow wearisome," drawled Randy Moore as he tipped his chair against the wall, and crossed his feet on the low railing in front of him. "Clay promised to be here half an hour ago," he went on in an injured tone, "and if he doesn't come in a few minutes I'm going to have a spin on the river. It's aggravating to sit here and do nothing. I can count a dozen boats between the railroad bridge and Bushy Island."
"I wouldn't mind being out myself," said Ned Chapman, "but we have important business to transact to-night, Randy, and I think it would be wiser to let boating go for once. I have everything planned out in ship shape fashion, and it only wants the seal of approval from you and Clayton."
"Oh! you have, have you?" exclaimed Randy with a sudden show of interest. "That's good news, Ned. If Clay knew the momentous question was to be settled at last, he would stir himself to get here, wherever he is. I'll give him ten minutes' grace."
"You'll give him as many minutes as he needs," rejoined Ned. "There must be some reason for his delay. It's new for him to be late. He's always the first to keep an engagement."
"We'll know when he comes," said Randy wisely. "Stop talking now. I want to count the boats. I never saw so many on the river before."
The two boys were sitting on a narrow balcony that projected from the second floor of a neat but unpretentious boathouse. The rear end of the edifice was built against the sloping base of the river bank.
From the park above a flight of steps, with a single hand rail, led down to the main entrance, which was on the second floor. The other end of the apartment opened on the balcony and faced the Susquehanna river.
From the lower floor, which held a number of boats and canoes, a plank walk sloped to the water's edge, ten or fifteen yards away.
Randy Moore was the fortunate owner of this snug little piece of property. The Harrisburg boys envied him his gun, his dog and his pony, but they would have fairly bowed down before him if by so doing they could have been put on the list of those favored ones who made free and daily use of the boathouse.
A "luck fellow" was the general verdict concerning Randy, and it was a true one. His father was wealthy and never refused to gratify any reasonable desire of his only son. In consequence Randy was somewhat spoiled and self willed, but in other ways he was really a sensible lad.
The fact of his own superior position in life never occurred to him in relation to his companions. He gave himself no airs, and expected no homage or