The Rival Campers Ashore

almost ceased. They plunged through the tangle of dripping brakes, down to the

n, just so much of their journey accomplished. Now they knew they were striving only to put themselves on the right track again,

, soberly, "There's the place, Jack. I saw it, coming up, but I thought it was only a patch of bu

h, in the spring of the year, to float a canoe; but now impassable. They followed it up through a wheat field to a road, from which, to their relief, a stream of about the dimen

ckon it's fifteen or sixteen. Water enough? Oh, yes, mebbe, except p'raps in spots. Goin' round to Benton

e of these farmers how many miles we've got to travel. According to his reckoning, we'd get to Benton some

ck Harvey, grimly. "L

carry. But it was after ten o'clock when they set their craft af

ly on the right course

n, at all, perhaps; just keep on paddling down Mill Stream past the city, down

ht the heart of a farmer with growing crops; a shower that fairly bent the grass in the fields with its weight; that made a tiny lake in the bottom

t Grand Island, Jack?" in

I start for there, I'll go in a boat that's

ods now on both sides of the stream, and through

rvey. "I can't get any wetter. Pretty soon we'll begin to lik

pads they passed yielded them a big pickerel. He came in fighting and tumbling, making the worst of his struggle-after the manner of pickerel-when he was fairly aboard. Once free of the hook, he d

e said shortly. "I can't stand a

tly to himself. "Let's em

country through which the stream threaded its way, with countless windings and twistings; but the rain dimmed and faded its beauties now. They thought

, a village clock sounded the

g so late," said Henry Burns. "W

that fish raw

d he pointed in toward a grove of evergreens and birches. "That village i

too glad to j

one end of the canoe, they untied it and took therefrom two small hatchets, a coil of stout cord, a fry-pan, a knife and fork apiece and a

bottle. "Carry your matches in a bottle, on a

ees; then interlacing the line, on a slant between other trees, he constructed a slight network

he said at length, surveying his work, "bu

well, with the added protection

to the heart of this he went with his hatchet, and quickly got an armful of dry fire-wood. He came running back with the wood, and a few sheets of birch-b

g-knife. The coffee, poured from the bottle into a tin dipper, they set near the

ok his hea

aid. "It's settled down

twinkle in his eye, "I like it-but I wish

al sputtering caused by the rain dripping through; and when they had got half dry and had started forth once more in

t, which was to the eastward, they came upon another stream flowing in and mingling with the one they were following. Thenceforth the two ran as one stream, the banks widening perceptibly, the stream flo

t to scrape on submerged rocks. And still the rain fell. There were two dams to carry around, and they did this somewhat drearily, tr

s from Benton. To make matters worse, with the falling of night the rain increased,

med from a window a little distance back fr

e rain. "I don't mind saying I've had enough. It's three miles yet to Benton, or nea

ve the money to pay-three dollars in the oiled silk wallet. If

an in alongside this, drew their canoe clear up on to the float, turned i

," said Harvey. "There'

t of welcome. It bore an enormous hand pointing

used a moment on the threshold of the door. "Half way between the s

e of hickory logs roared in an old-fashioned brick fireplace, lighting up the hotel office almost as much as did the two kerosene la

anooering, you call it, in this mess of a rain. Gracious me, but you're wet to the skin, both er yer. Well, take them wooden chairs, as won't be spoiled with w

, soon. You can pay me for the supper, and fix 'bout the stay in'

er best for them. There was coffee, steaming hot, and biscuit, warmed up to a crisp; ba

"Canooering's good fer the appertite, ain't it? It's plain vittles, but I

aid he could feel his skin stretch; paid the old woman her price for the meal-"twenty-five cents apiece, an' it couldn't be done f

nquired Harvey

saying I'm tired. I wouldn't stir out of this

mping, shaking the rain from his clothing like a big New

ed; then espying his two newly-arrived

" he said. "Glad you got in out of the storm-

r chairs, eying the proprietor of the Half Way House, curiously. He, in turn, glared at them in astonishment, f

CE, HENRY BURNS AND JACK HARVE

they exclaimed,

two doing he

nor any of the rest of you, around my hotel? Didn't yer get satisfaction enough out of bringing bad luck

t's my hotel; and I wouldn't care if 'twas raining a bucket a drop and coming forty times as hard. I

stood for a moment, gazing

ck it out?" asked Ha

his way," said Henry Burns. "But it means a fight, sure, if we try to stay. I g

king their paddles, which they had brought with them, from behin