The Boy Scouts Along the Susquehanna

" exclaimed Giraffe, pretending to show great ent

; "if it comes down on us while we're on the tramp, and without any sort of protection, we'll soon be all mussed up, and

ng traces of his old faults, though he had been cured of numerous shortcomings. "If it rains we'll have to get our rubber ponchos

troubles in the same hopeful spirit will surely profit from such a course. Things are never at their worst, though we may temporarily think so. The few drops that came down did not

ome unknown reason, farms were few and far between, which is not often the case along

ey might be compelled to abandon their hope of finding a house, and

em it might last for twenty-four hours; and such a primitive camp would prove a dismal refuge indee

n they found themselves up against such a snag as this it would be time to consider the last resort, which must consist

gh they might be feeling too tired for merriment, or else the

ollow the man who wore the old blue army coat by means of the tracks he left behind him, for these would have been utterl

while, as if to explain why he had stubbed his toe, when by rights a

" the patrol leader explained; "which helps to shut out more or less of the light from the w

t it'll be so black you can't see a ha

ut I hate to give up the hope of striking some farm, where we could get another chance to sleep in th

against an experience before long that we won'

We've all been through so much that it doesn't become any mem

re out what sort of a night we had ahead of us. If it comes to knocking up against trouble,

ep Hen told him, in order to "smooth h

atch, and held it close up to his face in order to see where the hands pointed, which action

looking continually to the right, in hopes that they might discover a haven of refuge

en an old abandoned shanty having a leaky roof with delight; for with their ingenuity a worn-out

in the shape of an outcropping ledge, under which they might find shelter. This had saved them from a

er minute

his watch, and examined

oled when you're counting

walking that ten Thad al

ot, boys," the tim

at on me, 'specially in the mornings, when by rights I ought to have been out of bed. It was the most accommodating thing you ever saw; I'd wake up, take a look and see it stood at a quarter to seven, and then roll over for another little snooze. Then

he?" as

his fat shoulder

close to my ear. Dad sets it there before he retires, and I can't chuck it out o

d the four minutes are nearly down to three. Keep a stiff upper lip, Bumpu

forebodings. The lonesomeness of their surroundings had something to do with this feeling, perhaps, although these boys were used to campin

squehanna. Their sufferings were apt to come mostly from the severity of t

ght be even approaching the last figure to which their

u can see it easy enough now. We're going to have a roof over our heads to-night, after all! What a lucky thing it was you

. "It ought to be on the right, but instead it lies close to the edge of the water. Now, no man woul

clared; "yes, I can begin to get a glimpse of

hio and the Mississippi they call a shanty boat, which is a ca

; and when a crowd of scouts are hard pushed they can squeeze in small quarters. We'll fix

footsteps, some of the boys even laughing, for the improved pr

looking houseboat. It seemed to be moored to the bank with a stout rope, and, j

so dark as yet but what they could have been seen after passing the sc

barked, nor did they hear any

nock, Thad!"

ply. Thad waited half a minute, and, hearing no

here; s'pose you open the door yoursel

d to open the cabin door, after which the rest of the scouts were so e

nges, and some supper was cooking on a small stove, there did not seem to be the first sign of any human pr